Patriots' Mac Jones: Could be on 'short leash' Sunday
Jones will remain the Patriots' starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Raiders in Las Vegas, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the third-year signal-caller will be "on a short leash," and a poor opening few series could result in him getting benched.
Though Jones was pulled early in blowout losses to the Cowboys and Saints in the past two weeks, head coach Bill Belichick reaffirmed his commitment to Jones after both contests. Even so, with Jones heading into Sunday with a 5:6 TD:INT, 6.0 yards per attempt and 62.5 percent completion rate through five games -- all of which represent steps back from his first two seasons in the league -- it's clear that the 25-year-old has lost some job security. In light of his struggles thus far, Jones warrants lineup consideration only in leagues that start two quarterbacks or have a QB flex spot, but he may be a dicey proposition even in those formats in Week 6 due to the risk of a mid-game benching. Though Bailey Zappe has replaced Jones in both of the past two games, Rapoport relays that Zappe and Will Grier have taken reps with the first-team offense along with Jones this week. The Patriots also signed versatile Malik Cunningham off the practice squad Saturday, though he may be a candidate for more immediate work at receiver rather than at quarterback.
