New England Patriots - NESN.com
New England Patriots fans are slated to see a familiar face under center for an NFC squad.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Thursday morning that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss two to five weeks with a turf toe variant. Mac Jones is expected to start in his place.
The Patriots gave Jones the uneviable task of replacing Tom Brady when selecting him with the No. 15 pick in 2021. He initially showed promise by completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and a 92.5 quarterback rating as a rookie.
Those numbers all comfortably remain personal-bests for Jones, who faltered in his next two seasons in New England. The former Alabama star amassed 25 touchdowns to 23 interceptions in 24 games, averaging just 6.5 yards per pass attempt.
Bill Belichick benched Jones for Bailey Zappe near the end of the 2023 campaign, and the Patriots traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars that offseason. Jones played 10 games in place of the injured Trevor Lawrence last year, posting an 80.5 quarterback rating with 1,672 passing yards, eight touchdowns and eight picks. The Jaguars won two of his starts (both against the 3-14 Tennessee Titans) before firing head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke.
Jones goes from replacing the 2021 draft’s No. 1 pick to the 2022 draft’s final selection. Purdy has recorded a 104.5 quarterback rating over his career and landed a massive raise with a five-year, $265 million extension this offseason.
Unfortunately for Jones, he won’t have San Francisco’s full assortment of skill-position players. Star tight end George Kittle went on the injured reserve with a hamstring injury, and wide receiver Jauan Jennings’ Week 2 status is uncertain due to a shoulder issue.
Jones is in line to start when the 49ers play the New Orleans Saints this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
