Jerod Mayo is in the evaluation phase after taking over at the New England Patriots. One decision has to be parting ways with Mac Jones. Comment.

It’s understandable that Jerod Mayo wants to get an overview first. Restraint is the order of the day for now.

Although the new head coach has been working as a coach for the Patriots since 2019, he was also a player from 2008 to 2015. The 37-year-old lives and breathes the Patriots. In terms of responsibility, however, the role of head coach is something else.

That’s why Mayo takes a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the most important position in the squad. Or to put it another way: What will happen with Mac Jones? The 25-year-old fell off badly last season and has been nothing more than a substitute in recent weeks.

Depending on who you ask at Foxborough, you get different assessments of the playmaker’s situation. Was it above all a dismantling of Bill Belichick, who in the end hardly mentioned the name of the signal caller at all? Was Jones wasted? Or should the player’s part in the sporting relegation not be underestimated? Is he even largely to blame?

Mac Jones: He made mistakes too

“If you ask Mac Jones, he’s made mistakes too,” Mayo said. “The coaching staff, we’ve made mistakes too. And I’m not just talking about the coaching staff on offense. One thing about Mac, everybody talks to Mac. Special teams, defensive players, offensive players, and we’ve tried to help him build his confidence. But I think everybody has enough blame to go around.”

The point is: It’s no longer about guilt, about a reappraisal in preparation for the new season, but about the future of the franchise, about a new direction. An unencumbered one above all.

Three years is plenty of time in the NFL, with the biggest step for young players actually coming in the second year. 2023 was a glaring step backward for Jones in year three .

He’s also a face of athletic dreariness for the Patriots. He’s really burned out, little to no longer marketable.

Not only with the fans, but probably not in the dressing room either. Jones was recently one of the few players present at the official introduction of the new coach. The quarterback worked out, and “that attitude, that mentality, is something I uphold,” Mayo said.

Mac Jones: Ridiculing the prima donna

However, Jones’ presence apparently did not go down well with his teammates. A source from the Patriots’ ranks lashed out at the quarterback in an interview with the Boston Sports Journal. “Everyone has seen him play, they’ve seen him act like a prima donna. The team is sick of it, everyone is sick of it,” the report said. According to the source, Jones has even completely emptied his locker. Anonymous sources are always a tricky thing, but the episode shows just how muddled the situation is. To put it kindly.

Mayo did confirm, however, that not everyone in the booth was convinced by Jones. “I won’t confirm that the locker room was divided, but there were people who had different opinions.”

Yet the trust and backing of the coaching staff and the locker room is essential for a quarterback. Which is why the time has come for a separation. As long as it can still be handled reasonably well.

And as much as the Patriots need a fresh start at the position, a hard cut, a reset would probably be the best solution for Jones as well. Jared Goff or Baker Mayfield have proven that a change can work wonders. To name just two examples:

Mac Jones: Top pick as a parting gift

The Patriots have secured pick number three in the upcoming draft due to their miserable season. Ironically, if you will, a parting gift of sorts from the failed Jones. But the opportunity is favorable, and the 2024 quarterback class is a strong one.

But Mayo will have to shed his reticence before then. And part ways with Jones. For a completely fresh start.