New England Patriots

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones expects to be available for Monday night's game against the Chicago Bears, per ESPN's Mike Reiss, and he told reporters Friday that his injured ankle is feeling much better.

Jones said when asked if his ankle feels good enough for a return to the field:

"Yeah, I think it feels pretty good. Just trying to work through all the stuff of being able to play in an NFL football game. I want to be able to go out there and help the team. Once I'm there, I'm there. So I'm definitely making progress, and we've done a good job with the treatment."

Jones has missed New England's last three games while nursing a high ankle sprain. The team has gone 2-1 in his absence. The only loss came in overtime to the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 2.

The 24-year-old second-year quarterback suffered the ankle injury in a Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Before going down, he had completed 66 percent of his passes for 786 yards and two touchdowns against five interceptions.

Veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer was set to take over for Jones, but he suffered a concussion against the Packers and was replaced by rookie Bailey Zappe, who has started since.

The 2022 fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky has completed 72.9 percent of his passes for 596 yards and four touchdowns against one interception in three games. His performance has led to some questioning whether he should be New England's starter moving forward.

However, if Jones is healthy, he'll more than likely continue to serve as QB1 of Bill Belichick's squad.

The Patriots are 3-3 on the season, tied with the Miami Dolphins for the worst record in the AFC East. The Buffalo Bills are 5-1, and the New York Jets are 4-2.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has addressed the report that he told New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft "don't f--k with me" during a heated exchange Tuesday at the NFL owners' meetings.

"In this particular case, it's probably accurate that I did express myself in probably a way that's not in good taste," Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan (h/t Jon Machota of The Athletic).

ESPN's Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. provided context on the incident, reporting Jones was the only owner to vote against allowing the compensation committee to open negotiations for a new contract for commissioner Roger Goodell.

Kraft was among the 31 owners who voted in favor of such a measure and replied "excuse me?" when Jones seemingly lashed out.

"Don't mess with me," Jones reiterated.

According to Wickersham and Van Natta, Jones' issue with Goodell's potential new contract is that the triggers for bonuses are "too vague and not connected to a strict set of financial goals and metrics."

He spearheaded an effort to change the commissioner's contract from primarily salary-based to bonus-based using performance metrics in 2017.

"He believes in corporate good governance and wants accountability on the financial goals tied to Roger's bonus," a league source said. "He is sensitive to awarding a big bonus to Roger before he performs and earns it."

Jones echoed those sentiments during Friday's interview.

"Let me be real clear, I'm a real supporter of Roger Goodell as our commissioner," he said. "I think he's done outstanding. … [I had] an issue with the structure regarding how we were going to address the commissioner or his successor. [It was] not [about] my support for Roger."

Jones and Kraft are among the most public faces of the NFL's owners, who have to approve any contract renewal for Goodell.

Goodell has been the NFL commissioner since 2006.

Despite the strong play of rookie fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe, Mac Jones is reportedly still the New England Patriots' starting quarterback when healthy.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported Thursday that sources have indicated there is "no quarterback controversy" in New England, and Jones will be back in the lineup when cleared.

Jones has missed the past three games with a high ankle sprain, but ESPN's Mike Reiss reported Thursday that Jones expects to be available for the Pats' game against the Chicago Bears on Monday night.

Reiss also noted that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was noncommittal when asked to comment on his plans for the quarterback situation.

There normally wouldn't be much debate about a second-year first-round pick taking back the starting job from a rookie fourth-round pick, but Zappe has undoubtedly helped turn around the Patriots' season.

Jones, who was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, led the Patriots to the playoffs and was named to the Pro Bowl last season. In three starts this season, however, he has gone just 1-2 while throwing for 786 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions.

Veteran Brian Hoyer started in place of the injured Jones in Week 4, but he was knocked out of the game early with a concussion. Zappe replaced him and nearly led the Pats to a win over the Green Bay Packers before falling in overtime.

Zappe has started each of the past two games, leading New England to a 29-0 drubbing of the Detroit Lions and a 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns, making the Patriots 3-3 on the season.

In three games overall, the former Western Kentucky standout has completed 72.9 percent of his passes for 596 yards, four touchdowns and one pick.

It is possible that Zappe's numbers would fall off over a larger sample size, but there is no question that he has been the Patriots' best quarterback so far this season.

At the same time, New England has invested far more in Jones and saw him play well en route to a postseason appearance during his rookie campaign.

Jones figures to get the first crack at winning his job back, perhaps as soon as Monday, but Zappe's play has made him a legitimate alternative who Belichick can turn to if Jones shows any signs of faltering.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones expects to play in Monday's game against the Chicago Bears after missing the last three weeks with an ankle injury, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.

Jones has reportedly told teammates that he is progressing from the injury and expects to be cleared this week.

The Patriots are 3-3 heading into the Week 7 game, with rookie Bailey Zappe leading the team to consecutive wins in his two starts.

Zappe has four touchdown passes with one interception in three appearances this season, accumulating a 111.4 quarterback rating. He especially impressed in the Week 6 win over the Cleveland Browns with 309 yards on 24-of-34 passing and two touchdowns.

The 2022 fourth-round pick produced incredible numbers at Western Kentucky with 5,967 passing yards and 62 touchdowns last year, and he has continued the production in the NFL.

Jones, on the other hand, was off to a slow start to the season with two touchdowns and five interceptions in three games, resulting in a 76.2 rating.

Last year's first-round draft pick had proved himself as a rookie with 3,801 passing yards and 22 touchdowns, leading the Patriots to a 10-7 record. He earned a Pro Bowl selection and finished second in voting for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Jones will look to get back on track if he returns against the Bears, but the Patriots should be confident if Zappe remains under center.

Mac Jones was apparently among those asking questions when the New England Patriots made Matt Patricia a de facto offensive coordinator this offseason.

During The Dan Patrick Show on Monday, Albert Breer of The MMQB expanded on how the relationship between Jones and the team has gotten "a little sideways," a dynamic that began the year before, as he initially discussed on Patriots Pregame Live.

Jones was curious about some of the team's decisions, such as utilizing Patricia and Joe Judge to replace outgoing offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

In addition, Breer said there was "some natural friction there," which got exacerbated by his high ankle sprain. Jones didn't want to get surgery, while the Patriots preferred to have him undergo a procedure to address the injury.

The conversation begins at the 10:30 mark.

Jones' inquisitive nature runs counter to New England's culture a bit, per Breer, because head coach Bill Belichick wields so much influence. As a result, the coaches might be attempting to "send a message to Mac" while he recovers from his ankle injury.

That would provide more context to Belichick's response when asked about who the Pats will start at quarterback when Jones is 100 percent again. He declined to commit to Jones or Bailey Zappe.

Belichick has rarely let his emotions get in the way of personnel moves. But even Tom Brady wore out his welcome eventually.

In Jones, the Patriots clearly hoped to find a long-term successor to Brady; otherwise, they wouldn't have selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. The 24-year-old provided strong early returns by throwing for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns as a rookie and leading New England to the postseason.

Zappe has performed well in Jones' absence and is coming off a 309-yard, two-touchdown outing in a 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Still, it's premature to believe a genuine quarterback controversy is brewing in New England or that the franchise is starting to waffle on Jones as the starter beyond this campaign. As Breer asserted, this may be more a case of the Patriots reminding him who exactly is in charge.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick tied George Halas for the second-most wins across the NFL regular season and playoffs with Sunday's 38-15 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Belichick is now 23 wins away from tying Don Shula's all-time mark.

Bailey Zappe led the way for New England in his second career start. He finished 24-of-34 for 309 yards and two touchdowns. Rhamondre Stevenson also helped move the chains, running for 76 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.

The Pats defense, meanwhile, forced four turnovers and held the Browns to 328 total yards.

A pair of giveaways put the final nail in Cleveland's coffin. Chester Rogers muffed a punt with 4:41 left, and Jacoby Brissett fumbled while getting sacked at the 4:06 mark. Both led to Patriots touchdowns as the road team pulled away.

For Belichick, win No. 324 might have felt a little sweeter since he probably relishes anytime he can get the better of the franchise that let him go after the 1995 season, even if the figures responsible for the move have long left Cleveland.

Any argument about the greatest of all time is subjective, yet it's hard to argue against Belichick as the best coach to grace an NFL sideline.

The 70-year-old has six Super Bowl titles at a time when parity makes building a dynasty almost impossible. Assuming he's willing to go a few more seasons, it will only be a matter of time before he wrests the wins record away from Shula as well.

It's Bailey Zappe season in New England.

Zappe is expected to start for the Patriots in a Week 5 matchup against the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. It will mark his first career NFL start.

Patriots starting quarterback Mac Jones has been sidelined since suffering a high-ankle sprain in a Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer started last weekend's 27-24 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers but was removed after just six pass attempts with a concussion. The 36-year-old has been placed on injured reserve.

Zappe, New England's third-string quarterback, replaced Hoyer against Green Bay. He completed 10-of-15 passes for 99 yards and one touchdown in his first NFL game.

The Patriots selected Zappe in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Western Kentucky. As a senior in 2021, he completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 14 games.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has spoken highly of Zappe since the start of training camp and told reporters after last weekend's loss to the Packers that the rookie signal-caller "competed well."

"He's gotten a lot more snaps [in practice], which is always a good thing for a quarterback, and timing, and communication," Belichick said of Zappe earlier this week, per NBC Sports Boston's Nick Goss. "So, definitely making progress. A little more experience and more opportunity. I mean, I couldn't put a percentage on it."

The Patriots signed veteran quarterback Garrett Gilbert to the practice squad this week, and he's expected to back up Zappe on Sunday.

New England enters Week 5 with a 1-3 record, last place in the AFC East. The team is in desperate need of a win to remain competitive in a tough division that has seen the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets win at least two games so far this year.

The New England Patriots are being sued by a fan who claims they ruined an American flag autographed by Tom Brady.

Per the lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports, Daniel Vitale said he acquired the flag signed by the seven-time Super Bowl champion in early 2020 and at some point last year he reached out to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to gauge their interest in displaying it.

According to the suit, the HOF said it did after Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick retired.

"The HOF, according to Vitale, suggested he reach out to the Patriots Hall of Fame at Gillette Stadium to gauge its interest in the flag in the meantime," TMZ wrote. "Vitale claims in his suit that the Pats HOF wanted it—and officials there promised him it would be 'curated to the highest standard.'"

Vitale said he gave the Patriots the flag and it was displayed under the jersey worn during Super Bowl 49, but when he sought to get it back earlier this year when Brady was considering retirement, he said the "autograph had faded due to what he claims is the way the HOF improperly displayed the piece."

Per the lawsuit, Vitale is seeking damages for his claim that the value of the flag has potentially decreased by more than $1 million.

According to Vitale, the flag was flown at New England's previous home, Foxboro Stadium, during a 2001 game against the Miami Dolphins and Brady signed it a few years later.

The 2001 season was Brady's first year as the Patriots' starting quarterback. He replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe in a Week 2 game against the New York Jets. New England went on to win six Super Bowl titles and nine AFC championships from 2001-19 with Brady under center.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is reportedly improving from an ankle injury suffered in Week 3, but his status for Week 5 remains unclear, as he still has significant hurdles to clear.

According to NFL Network's Mike Giardi, there remains "a fair bit of instability" in Jones' ankle, although he is moving "considerably better" than he was Friday.

Giardi also tweeted video of Jones at practice Wednesday, and he seemed unable to put full pressure on his ankle while dropping back to pass:

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero (h/t NFL.com's Bobby Kownack) reported that Jones suffered a high ankle sprain late in a Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and was expected to miss some time.

Jones did not suit up for the Patriots' Week 4 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers. Veteran Brian Hoyer started in his place, but he left early with a head injury and was replaced by rookie Bailey Zappe.

Zappe, who was a fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky, performed well in his first taste of NFL regular-season action, going 10-of-15 for 99 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He nearly led the Pats to a huge upset of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

If neither Jones nor Hoyer is cleared, Zappe will be in line to make his first career start Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

After going 10-7 as a starter, leading the Patriots to the playoffs and earning a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie last season, Jones' 2022 campaign has gotten off to a rough start.

Aside from the injury, Jones is just 1-2, and he has completed 66.0 percent of his passes for 786 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions.

Jones was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft out of Alabama, and he outperformed all other rookie quarterbacks, generating belief that he could be the replacement for Tom Brady that the Patriots and their fans were hoping for.

That may still be the case, but Jones is clearly experiencing some growing pains, and the Patriots are already in a difficult spot just one month into the season.

At 1-3, New England has sole possession of last place in the AFC East and trails both the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills by two games for the division lead.

If things don't turn around quickly, the Patriots could be in danger of missing the playoffs for only the second time since 2009.

The New England Patriots announced Monday that they have signed linebacker Jamie Collins to the practice squad.

Mike Reiss of ESPN first reported the two sides were working towards an agreement.

Collins finished last season with New England, which was his third stint with the organization, although he went unsigned during the offseason. He visited the Patriots last month.

The Patriots are looking for reinforcements after falling to 1-3 on the season after Sunday's overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers. Their defense ranks 22nd in the league with 24.5 points allowed per game.

Collins was initially the Patriots' second-round draft pick in 2013 and emerged as a defensive star in 2015, earning a Pro Bowl selection while being named second-team All-Pro. He led the NFL with five forced fumbles that year before playing every snap in the team's Super Bowl XLIX win over the Seattle Seahawks.

The linebacker was surprisingly traded to the Cleveland Browns during the 2016 season and struggled with his new team over two-plus years despite a high-paying contract. He ended up back in New England in 2019, and he regained his form with a career-best seven sacks.

After parts of two seasons with the Detroit Lions, he returned to the Patriots again last year and appeared in 10 games, totaling 20 tackles and one sack.

It's clear head coach Bill Belichick trusts the veteran enough to add him back to the roster as the squad tries to turn things around in 2022.

Collins should rotate with Matt Judon and Jahlani Tavai at linebacker while Raekwon McMillan remains relegated to special teams duties.