New England Patriots quarterbacks Bailey Zappe, Mac Jones and Will Grier. Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Insider: Patriots have surprising backup plan if Mac Jones gets benched again

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 10/11/23

It appears that the New England Patriots are bracing for the worst regarding starting quarterback Mac Jones.

According to Patriots insider Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal, it Jones gets benched for a third straight game this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders, don’t expect Baily Zappe to be handed the keys to the offense again.

“From talking to people around the team, I think, if Mac Jones doesn’t succeed this week, if he doesn’t retain his job, I think it’s Will Grier’s,” Bedard said during an appearance on 98.5 The Sport Hub’s “Felger & Mazz.”

Will Grier in his last game for Dallas this preseason had 4 touchdowns.

pic.twitter.com/oKT4e4PlBM
— Savage (@SavageSports_) October 11, 2023

Grier was an early-season addition after being singed from the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad on Sept. 22. He was the Dallas Cowboys' leading passer in the preseason, completing 76% percent of his passes for 640 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions while adding two rushing touchdowns.

He has yet to appear in the regular game this season, but he’s reportedly impressed Patriots coaches during practice enough to warrant getting a shot ahead of rookie Malik Cunningham, who was one of the standouts of the preseason.

The Patriots have lost their last two games by a combined score of 72-3. They’re the two worst losses of head coach Bill Belichick’s career, and it’s the first time since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994 that they’ve suffered two losses of 30 or more points in the same season.

Jones was benched in both games after going a combined 24-of-43 for 260 yards and four interceptions. Zappe didn’t fare much better in relief, completing just seven of 18 passes for 79 yards with a passer rating of 52.8. Neither could muster the Patriots offense to a scoring drive in their last 35 offensive possessions.

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