Although Mac Jones’ ankle injury appears to be recovered, the Patriots are not certain that he will play against Cleveland.
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The New England Patriots NFL 2022 season is off to a good start, but they are still dealing with multiple injuries to their key players. In the Patriots’ Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, quarterback Mac Jones suffered a high ankle sprain. While initial reports painted a bleak picture, Jones was back in practice — albeit in a severely limited capacity — only five days later.
He was subsequently unable to play in Weeks 4 and 5 against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions but is expected to return to practice this week ahead of the game in Cleveland. Jones did return to practice earlier this week, but he did not play in the game against the Packers.
The #Patriots officially list QB Mac Jones as doubtful with his ankle injury. Bailey Zappe gets the start again.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 7, 2022
The New England Patriots began their preparations for the Cleveland Browns with perfect 53-man roster attendance, while quarterback Mac Jones sat on the bench for the fourth practice in a row.
Also Read: When Will Tua Tagovailoa Be Back? Dolphins Coach Mike McDaniel Provides Injury Update
Mac Jones injury report
The team has not ruled out the possibility of Mac Jones returning to the field.
It sounds like Jones won’t be at full strength if he plays on Sunday; in that case, it wouldn’t be wise to have him take the field. When he is your starting quarterback, there is no reason to put him at increased risk of harm.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick stated, “We’ll see how it looks and go from there.”
A quick Mac Jones update. Per sources, if the #Patriots 2nd year QB were to play this weekend, he’s be dealing with some instability in that ankle but, depending on how it progresses this week, it *could* be managed in a variety of ways. The swelling, I’m told, has decreased.
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) October 12, 2022
Jones’ development into a top-tier quarterback is the Patriots’ quickest path back to being a Super Bowl contender. It’s difficult to do so when he’s dealing with ankle problems.
With rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe at the helm, the Patriots are also capable of defeating the Browns. It’s not like they need Jones to win this game, so why not give him another week to rest and then proceed?
Zappe is also emerging as the Patriots’ primary quarterback, having performed admirably in a Week 4 loss to the Green Bay Packers and leading the team to a 29-0 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 5.
Also Read: Is Mac Jones Playing Tonight vs Green Bay Packers? New England Patriots Release Injury Report
