Why this young NFL quarterback was reportedly jealous of Zach Wilson
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is reportedly jealous of how the New York Jets handled Zach Wilson’s status with the team.
After the Patriots’ season finale against the Jets, Jones expressed his appreciation for how New York handled Wilson’s situation to a member of the Jets staff, MassLive.com reported.
Why is Mac Jones jealous of Zach Wilson?
Prior to that Jets game, Jones dealt with a surprising, last-minute announcement from the Patriots. He only learned that he had been demoted to third-string and would serve as the emergency quarterback when his team released its list of inactive players 90 minutes before kickoff, according to MassLive.
It was the latest example of the team’s lack of communication with their quarterback, the article said. Head coach Bill Belichick reportedly stopped speaking with his former first round pick after the Patriots’ Week 12 loss to the New York Giants.
As he struggled to understand what his own NFL future would hold, Jones became envious of the Jets’ openness with Wilson, who was drafted 13 picks ahead of him, MassLive reported.
Will Zach Wilson be traded?
After fellow Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles in the first game of the season, Wilson started nine games for the Jets before being benched in November for Tim Boyle.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh informed Wilson after that benching that the team would trade him in the offseason, as the Deseret News reported in early December.
Wilson later returned to the starting role and played in two games before sustaining a season-ending concussion.
An unnamed Jets player told ESPN’s Rich Cimini that he’d be surprised if Wilson was on the Jets roster in 2024.
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Where could Zach Wilson be traded to?
Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young thinks the best landing spot for Wilson would be the Los Angeles Rams, the Deseret News previously reported.
“To me, the place he needs to be is in L.A. Go with Sean McVay. Follow (Matthew) Stafford and just sit there and watch the magic and then see if you can pick it up,” Young said on “The Adam Schefter Podcast.” “If you can, then you can be one of the best because you have the talent for it. But he has to get to one of those spots.”
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Will Mac Jones be traded?
The Patriots aren’t expected to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option, MassLive reported Tuesday. That would make Jones a free agent at the end of the 2024 season.
There is a chance that Jones could finish out his rookie contract in New England now that Jerod Mayo is the head coach of the Patriots.
In an interview with WBZ-TV on Jan 18., Mayo hinted that the Patriots could draft one of the top quarterback prospects with the No. 3 overall pick.
“We are going to draft the best player for a position that is very important. You put the pieces together,” he said. “But in all seriousness, we have a good opportunity in the draft. And I think our scouting department is pretty good.”
A few days later, Mayo told Greg Hill on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” that the team would be evaluating Jones.
“What I will say is, when I think about Mac, he obviously has talent — and once again, we’re in the evaluation phase. I will say, with that, the confidence of a player is very fragile, especially these players now,” he said. “Confidence goes a long way, and honestly, as we continue to evaluate as a coaching staff, we’ll see.”
Where could Mac Jones be traded to?
MassLive sees Jones being a backup during the next chapter of his career and either going to the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams or San Francisco 49ers.
An NFL executive told the publication that, at most, the Patriots could get a fourth or fifth round pick in exchange for Jones if they decide to trade him.
