MAC Jones

Patriots QB Mac Jones Suffers Apparent Ankle Injury in Loss to Ravens

The Patriots quarterback appeared to suffer a left ankle injury on his final pass in New England's 37-26 loss to the Ravens. Mac Jones is expected to have an MRI on Monday that could confirm he suffered a high-ankle sprain.

Mac Jones suffers apparent ankle injury in Patriots' loss to Ravens originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Mac Jones' day ended in a whole lot of pain against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The Patriots quarterback appeared to suffer an ankle injury on his final pass in New England's 37-26 loss to the Ravens.

It was at the 2-minute warning, when Ravens lineman Calais Campbell brought Jones down in the backfield just as he unloaded the ball toward Kendrick Bourne. Marcus Peters intercepted the pass, and the 307-pound Campbell came down on Jones' left leg.

Jones grimaced in pain, reached for his ankle and then pulled himself up on one leg. He looked to be in serious pain as he hopped off the field.

"Just trying to get pressure on him. Hit him. Make him uncomfortable,'' Campbell said. "I hate to see him get hurt. That's the worst part of the game. I hope he is OK.''

Jones had to be helped to the locker room by two Patriots staffers, and photos of him heading into the tunnel showed the QB in what appeared to be agony.

NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry said the quarterback was not seen in the locker room by reporters during the post-game open locker room period, however he could be heard in the corridor outside shortly after he left the field.

Perry noted Jones was clearly in extreme pain.

Head coach Bill Belichick said he had no immediate update on Jones' status after the game, but the Patriots later said Jones was being evaluated for a leg injury.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported, citing a source, that Jones had x-rays on his ankle following the game, and they were negative. He later said it's believed the quarterback suffered a high-ankle sprain.

Jones will undergo an MRI on Monday for an official diagnosis, according to Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and the Athletic's Jeff Howe. If confirmed, the 24-year-old would miss playing time and could even be placed on injured reserve.

While reporters waited near Jones' locker, a team employee came and gathered his things. The second-year QB didn't speak with reporters following the loss while receiving treatment for his injury, the team announced. He is expected to hold a Zoom call with reporters Monday afternoon.

Jones also didn't speak with reporters after New England's season-opening loss to the Miami Dolphins due to a back injury, but he was able to suit up in Week 2.

Jones completed 22 of 32 passes for a season-high 323 passing yards on Sunday but threw three interceptions with zero touchdown passes.

If Jones has to miss any time, the Patriots have 36-year-old Brian Hoyer as their backup, with Bailey Zappe as their No. 3 quarterback. It's likely the veteran Hoyer would start over rookie Zappe. Hoyer has played for seven teams in 14 seasons, including three stints with New England, almost all of it as a backup. Hoyer hasn't made an NFL start since 2020 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.

Several Patriots players spoke about the situation after the game.

Linebacker Matthew Judon talked about how good of a quarterback his teammate is, saying they don't know what happened but they'll see in the coming days.

"But, you know, I'm ridin' with 10 wherever, no matter we gotta play in the parking lot, we gotta play in Gillette, we gotta play wherever, I'm ridin' with him," Judon said. "So just keep your prayers for him, and just hopefully he's okay."

Center David Andrews was asked in his post-game press conference about how much faith the team has in Jones' backup, quarterback Brian Hoyer, if he has to play.

"Tons," Andrews said. "Brian's been here a long time...Prepares like he is going to play."

"Brian Hoyer, he's a leader. He's a vet. He knows the defenses,'' DeVante Parker said. "He's seen it all.''

Kendrick Bourne said they'll have faith in Hoyer and also pray that Jones is okay.

"Brian is a vet. He knows the system. He knows the reads. He knows the coaches," the wide receiver said. " I think we'll be all right, man."

Tight end Jonnu Smith shared that confidence, saying the Pats are fully confident in whoever is out on the field, noting there are many veteran players on the team who have experienced situations like this.

Smith also cautioned however that they don't know the situation yet.

"Mac's a fighter," he added. "I'm 100 percent sure that if he can play, he'll play."

"Playing quarterback in this league, you take some hits. It's tough,'' defensive back Devin McCourty said. "I know if he has something he can go and play with, he's going to play with it. ... I think we'll continue to rally around him.''

Jones, who has never missed a start, has now left back-to-back games with injuries, and it'd be a huge blow to the Patriots if he misses any more time.

New England hits the road next weekend for the third time in four games, as they visit Green Bay to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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