Mac Jones believed to have high ankle sprain after painful grimace while being carried down stairs

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was in obvious pain following the team's 37-26 loss in Week 3. Jones — who took a rough hit with under two minutes to play — needed to be helped down the stairs at the stadium before undergoing X-rays.

Jones appeared to be in immense pain while being helped down the stairs. While X-rays reportedly came back negative on Jones' leg, he is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain, according to multiple reports.

It's unclear how long Jones may be sidelined. An MRI done on Monday reportedly confirmed that Jones has a "severe" high ankle sprain, but no timetable is being given until he gets a second opinion.

It's tough to call that "good news" considering Jones' pained expression while being helped to the locker room. If Jones did avoid a fracture, that's a positive development. A leg or ankle fracture may have ended his season. That's what happened with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance. He'll miss the entire 2022 NFL season after fracturing his ankle in Week 2. With that said, Jones could still be sidelined for a while.

Brian Hoyer would likely start if Jones misses time.

It's the second time Jones underwent X-rays after a game in 2022. Jones needed to have his back checked following the team's loss in Week 1. X-rays came back negative then, and Jones was able to play in Week 2.

Prior to Jones' injury in Week 3, he completed 22-of-32 passes for 321 yards. Jones threw three interceptions and had zero passing touchdowns in the loss. He did manage to get in the end zone on a running play.

The Patriots will take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. It's unclear if Jones will be able to play in that contest.