Patriots QB Mac Jones Injures Back, Questionable Versus Steelers

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones suffered a back injury against the Miami Dolphins and is being evaluated by the Patriots on Monday. The injury was not pinpointed in an exact play, but it could have been on a roughing the passer call in the fourth quarter where Jones landed square on his back.

Some in the media interview room last night were discussing which play Mac Jones might have injured his back.

This fourth-quarter play, in which officials threw a roughing-the-passer flag, was in the discussion.

Hit high, and low, and lands on back. pic.twitter.com/V3yREhF6Ss

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 12, 2022

Jones finished the game, but was not available for postgame interviews. Against Miami, Jones finished the day going 21 of 30 for 213 yards with a touchdown and an interception accompanying that. After the game, Bill Belichick did not have an update on Jones, who reported the injury to the team after the game.

“No update on Mac,” Belichick said. “He came back with us. We’ll see how that goes.”

If Mac Jones can not go against the Steelers, it would be veteran Brian Hoyer starting for the Patriots. The Patriots lost to the Dolphins 20-7 on a day where their offense seemed out of sync on every single play. Losing Jones would only hurt that more, as he is their facilitator and offensive leader through everything. Jones is scheduled for x-rays on Monday, but Belichick declined to update his status.

“I know everybody’s hungry for an up-to-the-second update, but honestly the best way to handle these situations is always to give a little time,” Belichick said. “We need to run whatever tests or analysis need to be run and then go from there.”

The injury for Jones is complicated and thus the Patriots will give it time with Jones. For now, they face uncertainty moving towards the Steelers on Sunday as they wait for the results of their starting quarterback. Hoyer brings more mobility than Jones to the table, but Jones’ high football IQ and ability to facilitate the Patriots offense is what makes Jones perfect for the offense. HIs loss for the Patriots would be significant.