Mac Jones' time in New England has been tumultuous. And it hit an all-time low following the 2023 season. 

It's no surprise that that Jones and Bill Belichick's relationship was strained, and it was reported that it was to the point where the communication between the two was nonexistent prior to the season finale. 

So with that, MassLive's Mark Daniels reported that if Belichick had returned to the Patriots as head coach for the 2024 season, Jones would not be back with the team according to sources he spoke with. 

However, since Jerod Mayo has taken over, Jones could still be on the roster when next season begins. 

But his time in New England does appear to have an expiration date. 

"According to a source, the Patriots don’t plan on picking up Jones’ fifth-year option," Daniels wrote. "The quarterback has a clean slate with Mayo and could remain on the roster, but the team won’t hesitate to move him if the right deal comes across their desk."

And with that, it comes as no surprise that the Patriots are expected to bring in another quarterback this offseason, whether it be a rookie or a veteran, or even both. 

Jones began his career with the Patriots after being selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. 

He had a strong rookie season under the direction of Josh McDaniels, finishing with 3,801 passing yards and 22 passing touchdowns along with 129 rushing yards. He was named to the Pro Bowl in his first season, also being named to the Pro Football Writers Association's All-Rookie team

However, in his second year he took a serious decline after McDaniels left to take the head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders and it was Matt Patricia and Joe Judge who took over the offense. He finished his second season with 2,997 passing yards and 14 passing touchdowns along with 102 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.

And despite ownership making the official decision to bring in Bill O'Brien as the offensive coordinator, things continued to get worse for Jones. He had his worst season in 2023, finishing with 2,120 passing yards and 10 passing touchdowns along with no rushing touchdowns. He was even benched for Bailey Zappe midseason, and got demoted to the emergency quarterback rather than just the backup in the season finale.

This season is going to be very telling for Jones to see if the quarterback can get back on track. And if he does, let's see what's next for him after the Patriots. 

Bill Belichick and Mac Jones’ communication was ‘nonexistent’ by final game of 2023 season

Things were horrible in New England.