Report: Patriots' Mac Jones emotionally, mentally 'beat up' following benching

The steady decline from being a Pro Bowler following his rookie 2021 season to falling behind second-year fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe on the depth chart has been disappointing for Pats fans. It sounds like it's been even more crushing for Jones.

Assuming New England's quarterback plans don't change, Sunday's Week 13 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers will be the first time the Alabama product isn't the team's starter, outside of three games he missed with an ankle injury in 2022.

The Patriots have scored single-digit points in two straight contests and four games this year, they've lost four in a row, and they have the worst record in the AFC at 2-9.

Jones was benched mid-contest for the second consecutive game in Week 12 after going 12-for-21 for 89 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions for an ugly 27.8 quarterback rating, which was the second worst of his career. Zappe relieved Jones but wasn't much of an upgrade, finishing 9-for-14 for 54 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

New England benched the 2021 first-round pick late in the fourth quarter during its Week 10 loss against the Indianapolis Colts and turned to Zappe in an effort to spark a game-winning drive. Jones finished the defeat 15-for-20 for 170 passing yards with no touchdowns and one interception while adding three rushes for 25 yards. Zappe was 3-for-7 for 25 passing yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Patriots rookie signal-caller Malik Cunningham notably took second-team reps during practice on Wednesday, according to reports, meaning that Jones could enter Sunday's game against the Chargers as the third-stringer.