Do The Patriots Have a Mac Jones Problem?

Mac Jones went out with an injury and the New England Patriots got better under the well-managed arm of one Bailey Zappe. At some point Jones will once again be healthy enough to play and Bill Belichick will have a decision to make. Considering that he went with a sixth-round pick over the anointed face of the franchise all those years ago and it led to six Super Bowls, anything is possible. He tends not to risk breaking something that isn't broken in the first place. But then again, Mac Jones was really good last year and led the team to the playoffs while making the Pro Bowl. Which may actually have been a bad thing, per the Boston Globe's Ben Volin.

"Making the Pro Bowl and making the NFL Top 100, worst thing that to happen to Mac Jones last year," Volin said on NBC Sports Boston. "It was a sign that he made it and he's becoming a star and he's doing the Griddy and everyone's eating it up on social media. Sorry, Mac Jones, you're a rookie. Your team wanted nothing to do with you in that windy game against Buffalo the team fell apart at the end of last year. I'm telling you that making the Pro Bowl, I think, pumped his head up a lot, gave him an impression that he's a lot more than what he really was."

"The kid needs to be humbled and I think that's a good thing for him right now," he added.

It must be tough to be an NFL quarterback. If your team plays poorly you may lose your job. If you play too well and get the accolades, that's a problem too.

But wait there's more. Albert Breer was on the Dan Patrick Show this morning talking about how Jones' relationship with the Patriots has "gotten sideways." Turns out the Alabama product is a big Why Guy, which is a giant red flag because asking questions can be a bridge too far.

Very cool for Jones. You get hurt then the backup plays well, then you can see the narrative beginning to take shape around you. Tough breaks all around.