Patriots roster move should have Mac Jones feeling his hot seat

When the New England Patriots drafted Mac Jones as the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, they caused quite a stir. Beyond the narrative of replacing Tom Brady, Jones came into the league with a chip on his shoulder, having been labeled as a limited game manager under center, one of several good-but-not-great quarterbacks to benefit from the machine that is Alabama.

Jones proved a lot of critics wrong in a rookie season that, for a quarterback, was legitimately great. He helped the Pats win 10 games, threw 22 touchdowns, and kept his QB Rating safely above 90. The Patriots were optimistic that with the right supporting cast around him, he could take the next step in his career.

Instead, Jones has stagnated, and he is downright floundering to start the 2023 NFL season. He has more interceptions than touchdowns, and his yards per attempt average has fallen off a cliff - down to 6.0.

Patriots send a message to Mac Jones with latest roster move

With Bill Belichick receiving serious criticism and uncertainty about his future for the first time in his career, the Patriots may be ready to take drastic measures with their third-year signal-caller. As the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports, New England have signed Malik Cunningham from their practice squad. But rather than promoting him like most practice squad players are, the Pats are giving Cunningham a fresh three-year contract to be on the official first-team roster.

That move sends a serious message to Mac Jones. Either step up or step aside. Cunningham is an unknown commodity as an undrafted free agent with no NFL experience, but he has an intriguing two-way skill set. The 2019 Music City Bowl MVP had nearly 3,000 passing yards and over 1,000 rushing yards in the 2021 College Football season for the Louisville Cardinals.

Projecting how Cunningham will do is a fool's errand, but projecting how this move impacts Jones is a little bit easier.

Jones is in trouble. His performances have helped lead the Pats to the AFC East cellar. After his three interceptions against the Buffalo Bills played a role in the team missing out on the postseason in 2022, he may already be putting Belichick out of another playoff appearance in 2023. For better or for worse, quarterbacks take responsibility when a team struggles, and if the situation becomes untenable, the coach has to make a move before he becomes the one to bear the brunt of the criticism.

Jones has time to turn things around. The Patriots have a matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders before back-to-back duels with AFC East powerhouses -- and Super Bowl contenders -- in the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. Belichick doesn't make rash decisions. However, he isn't complacent. If Jones can't turn it around in the coming weeks, he seems prepared to roll the dice on Cunningham.