12 March 2024 , 00:00
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The Jacksonville Jaguars have traded for Mac Jones, showing they're worried about Trevor Lawrence. The former New England Patriots quarterback will now compete with Lawrence and provide cover if he gets injured.
On Sunday, it was reported that the Patriots were planning to trade Jones to the Jaguars for a 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 192). The Patriots had been looking for a trade this week, and the Jags beat three other teams to get Jones.
Jones has had a tough time in the last two seasons at Foxborough. In 2023, he threw for 2,120 yards with 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, leading to a 2-9 record before being benched by Bill Belichick for Bailey Zappe in Week 12.
The 25 year old, who was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, did well in his first year, helping the Pats get to the playoffs and earning a Pro Bowl selection as he threw for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns. Now, Jones will be competing to be Lawrence's backup in Jacksonville.
Lawrence, who was the top pick in the 2021 draft, had a tough time in 2023. The Jaguars started off strong with 8 wins and 3 losses but then things went downhill. They only won one of their last six games, ending the season with 9 wins and 8 losses. They even lost to the Tennessee Titans, who had only won 5 games all season, in their final match.
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This meant they didn't make it to the playoffs. Lawrence made two big mistakes in this game, throwing two interceptions which helped the Houston Texans win the AFC South title. Even though Lawrence wasn't terrible, he couldn't really help an offense that didn't have a standout receiver. He did well with tight end Evan Engram and wideout Calvin Ridley, but the passing game never really took off. The Jags were ranked 16th in the NFL with 7.1 yards per attempt.
Lawrence has been pretty lucky when it comes to injuries. He played every game of his NFL career until he hurt his throwing shoulder in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and had to miss Week 17. But even though he only missed one week, Lawrence had a lot of injuries last season. He had a sprained left knee, a sprained ankle, a concussion, and the shoulder injury.
Trevor Lawrence earned a playoff win but struggled in 2023 as the Jaguars inexplicably faded down the stretch to miss out on the postseason (Getty Images)He wasn't able to fully take part in any practice in the last three weeks of the season and many people think these problems affected his ability to help the Jags at the end of the season. Jones will now compete with experienced player C. J. Beathard for the backup role behind Lawrence. Beathard is in his last year of a two-year, £3.5 million contract he signed before the 2023 season.
Beathard has only started one game in his three seasons in Jacksonville, completing 17 of 24 passes for 178 yards to lead the Jaguars to a 26-0 victory over the Carolina Panthers in the second-to-last game of the 2023 season. This win was the only one for the Jaguars in their last six games.
If Jones can challenge Lawrence in training camp and prove he still has what it takes to be a starter, things could get interesting in Jacksonville. The former Alabama star has one year left on his rookie deal, carrying a £2.1 million base salary, if the Jaguars do not pick up his fifth-year option.
Trades cannot become official until the league year begins on Wednesday. Jones, who grew up in Jacksonville, will also have to pass a physical for the trade to be completed.