New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones left the field limping in Sunday’s 37-26 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Late in the fourth quarter, Jones appeared to have his left leg awkwardly twisted into the ground after being tackled by Calais Campbell of the Ravens. During the play, Jones was also intercepted by Marcus Peters to seal the victory for Baltimore.
Here’s the Mac Jones injury… Didn’t look good 😔 pic.twitter.com/pJZrF845Ax
— 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 @𝗙𝗧𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱𝟳 (@FTBeard7) September 25, 2022
Mac Jones throws his 5th INT of the season at the end of this game.
Jones then limped off the field and went straight to the locker room afterwards.pic.twitter.com/xODwfTYvzK
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 25, 2022
After the game, Jones had x-rays done on his left leg that came back negative, according to Jeff Howe of the Athletic. Jones will undergo an MRI on Monday to diagnose the full extent of the injury, Howe stated.
To add insult to injury, New England stands to experience a massive downgrade if Jones needs to be replaced. Jones’ replacement is expected to be fourteen-year quarterback Brian Hoyer. Throughout Hoyer’s career, he has mainly been a backup. In 39 career starts, Hoyer is 16-23 overall as a starter, according Pro Football Reference. Hoyer’s losing record as a starting quarterback is concerning considering how the Patriots have more losses than they do wins this season. (RELATED: Wide Receiver Who Said He’s Open 90% Of The Time Makes One Of Most Incredible Catches Ever)
Despite playing poorly during Sunday’s loss to the Ravens, Jones is far more capable of winning games than Hoyer is, and the roster’s capability would be dealt a serious blow if he had to take over for him. Jones is better than Hoyer as a passer and as a rusher, and Hoyer is simply not talented enough to elevate New England to a championship.
If Hoyer is New England’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future, their hopes at making the postseason, let alone the Super Bowl, are as good as finished.