Mac Jones is practicing with New England Patriots starters and expected to start on Sunday against the New York Jets, ESPN's Field Yates and NFL Network's Mike Garofolo report.

The news arrives after head coach Bill Belichick benched Jones during Monday's loss to the Chicago Bears in favor of rookie Bailey Zappe. Jones, New England's first-round pick in 2021, had missed the previous three games with an ankle injury. Zappe played well in his absence, and Belichick benched Jones after he threw an interception against the Bears.

Belichick insisted after the game that the benching wasn't performance-related and that he had planned ahead of time to play both quarterbacks against Chicago. He declined to name a starter moving forward after the 33-14 loss to the Bears.