Why was Mac Jones benched?

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was out for multiple weeks following a high ankle sprain. The injury limited his movement and forced him to undergo a procedure. In his place, Bailey Zappe was handed the keys to the offense and the rookie did a pretty good job.

However, with Mac Jones fit again, he was restored to the Patriots' starting lineup for their Week 7 game against the Chicago Bears. Unfortunately, the second-year shot-caller was relieved from duties going into the second half of the game, with Bailey Zappe replacing him again.

There were a lot of murmurs as the press speculated that we were about to have a quarterback situation in New England. Rumors swirled that Jones' days as a starter were over. That was until Bill Belichick appeared for the post-game press conference and gave his reasons for the quarterback swap. He said it was a pre-game decision to play both Jones and Zappe in Week 7.

He declined to say that the decision to put Zappe in the game was a benching of Jones. It was a coincidence that Jones had thrown an interception on the drive before the change. Will Jones be back at center in their next game against the New York Jets? It remains to be seen, as Belichick is a difficult coach to predict.

Mac Jones' performances so far this season

Chicago Bears v New England Patriots

Alabama Crimson Tide alum Mac Jones came into the season hoping to avoid a second-year slump. This sometimes happens with high-level athletes entering their second seasons as professionals. If you remember, Jones had to fight off competition from Cam Newton last campaign to become the Patriots' starting quarterback. However, this season he had no such challengers and he entered the year as the undisputed starting QB.

Unfortunately, the season has not gone according to Jones' and the Patriots' plans. The franchise are 3-4 and Jones isn't faring much better. Mac Jones has recorded 799 passing yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions in four games. If he wants to keep his starting job, he will have to improve his performances.