New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is in jeopardy of missing some significant time this season.
On the last offensive play of the Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Jones limped off the field after injuring his left leg. And upon further tests, he’s now likely to miss a good portion of the NFL season.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
“Patriots’ QB Mac Jones has what doctors diagnosed as a severe high ankle sprain that would cause many to have surgery, per sources. He is likely to miss multiple games. Jones and the Patriots still are discussing his options and the best way to proceed.”
While Jones is set to look at different options, it appears that he’ll be missing games with or without surgery.
“I’m just going to take it day by day, get my treatment and do what I do. Just see how I feel,” he said to ESPN. “If you have any more of those type questions, talk to Coach [Bill] Belichick. I think he likes those questions.”
If Jones were to miss time, it would be journeyman backup QB Brian Hoyer who would be thrusted into duty for the struggling offensive unit. Hoyer currently has the longest running losing streak of any NFL quarterback at 11 consecutive starts, although his last start came as a member of the Indianapolis Colts in 2019.
Still, longtime Patriots captain Matthew Slater insists the team would respond well if they were presented with unfortunate news on Jones.
“I hope we don’t have to find that out, but I do believe we’ll respond the right way,” he said. “We’re very early in our season, and if we don’t handle it the right way, this thing could spiral away from us.”
