The beginning of the end of the Mac Jones era in New England appeared to begin Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany when he was benched for Bailey Zappe late in the Patriots' 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Now it looks like Jones may be dropped down to third-string behind both Zappe and Will Grier, per Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show.

"Mac Jones is going to almost certainly sit," Curran said.

"I think he'll probably be dropped down to third-string. You're gonna elevate Will Grier and you're gonna elevate the player that took the final snaps the other day...Bailey Zappe.

"If I was a betting man, and I don't have any intel on this, but Will Grier gets the reps to be the starter, and if he fails in that, then Zappe would start and Grier would be No. 2 and you proceed through the end of the year and try to maintain the culture."

The 2-8 Pats sit dead-last in the AFC. They have a bye looming before playing again on Sunday, Nov. 26 at the New York Giants.

Jones, a former Alabama star, began his career with great promise in 2021 with a Pro Bowl nod, a runner-up finish in the Associated Press Rookie of the Year race and a playoff appearance.

It's been all downhill ever since, although Jones hasn't exactly been put in a great position to succeed. The Pats' offense has had different leaders during each of Jones' three seasons, including the 2022 pairing of two coaches with backgrounds in defense (Matt Patricia) and Joe Judge (special teams).

New England also hasn't put explosive talent around Jones either. The wideouts have consistent issues getting separation or making big plays downfield. Gone are the days of superstar tight ends like Rob Gronkowski or reliable possession receivers like Julian Edelman making big plays as well.

Still, Jones simply hasn't fared well, throwing just one touchdown per game played (10) this season, like he did last year (14). He's thrown as many interceptions as scores in 2023, and he's posted career-lows in pass yards per attempt (6.3), yards per game (203.1) and quarterback rating (80.2). The last stat ranks Jones seventh-worst in the NFL.

On Sunday, Jones threw a red-zone interception directly to the Colts' Justin Blackmon on the Pats' second-to-last drive. Zappe came in on the next possession.

It's now possible that pass will mark Jones' last as a Patriot this season after a difficult 10 games for everyone in New England.