Category: Mac Jones

Happier looking Mac Jones goes viral for stylish image in Jaguars uniform

Mac Jones appears to be having the time of his life in Jacksonville

Former New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones appears to be settling in nicely with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jones posted a picture of himself decked out in sunglass with a football in his hands on Thursday.

A video was posted this week of him flipping and dancing during practice. That combined with his first press conference in Jacksonville has indicated he is happy to be out of New England.

The Patriots traded Jones back in February for a 2024 sixth-round draft pick.

Jones is ready for a fresh start, as the caption in his social media post had the number “281-330-8004,” which is a reference to rapper Mike Jones’ song, “Back Then.”

That’s a clear indication he’s ready to turn the page.

The Patriots are turning the page, too, with Drake Maye set to fill the void of a franchise quarterback. Let’s hope New England does not make the same mistakes they made with Jones.

Mac Jones had positive remarks on former coach Bill Belichick

Mac Jones took the high road when discussing his run in New England.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones spoke about his former coach, Bill Belichick, when fielding questions from media members at his introductory press conference.

Jones was drafted by Belichick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. The signal-caller was thought to be the next franchise quarterback for the New England Patriots. Instead, poor development and lack of talent around him made things difficult in New England.

Jones finished his New England career with 8,918 passing yards, 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. He especially struggled during his 2023 campaign, throwing for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Despite everything that went down in New England, Jones had nothing but positive things to say about Belichick.

“A lot of great learning experiences,” Jones said, as transcribed by Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams. “Learned from a great head coach, obviously, one of the greatest of all time. Been fortunate to kind of work with some great head coaches and learned a lot. Played a lot of games. Started a lot of games. Obviously, things went the way they did. My goal was to get the train back on the tracks. I think I can do that here.”

It is truly a new era for the Patriots in more ways than one. It’s just hard to believe that the Jones-Belichick era started out so promising and ended so abruptly.

Here’s how Patriots broke trade news to Mac Jones

Here’s when Mac Jones found out he was being traded by the Patriots

The New England Patriots were honest with quarterback Mac Jones in regards to his future with the team. Jones knew about a potential trade well before a deal was agreed on with the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to a report from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Jones finished his career in New England with 8,918 passing yards, 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. He now gets a chance to return to his home state in Florida, where he will back up Jaguars starter Trevor Lawrence.

Jones was initially thought to be a franchise-caliber quarterback in New England, when he was drafted in the first round in 2021. Nevertheless, things did not materialize that way.

The Patriots told Mac Jones after the combine of their intention to trade him, and even asked the quarterback what he wanted to do. After working through that, and shopping him all week, New England found a suitor in the Jacksonville Jaguars. With a sixth-round pick in its back pocket, the Patriots fished around for a fifth Saturday, before finalizing the deal to send Jones to his hometown for the 192nd pick. The return, of course, isn’t great for a player picked 15th three years ago. But it’s reflective of the feeling that there just isn’t a ton of physical upside there in Jones.

Jacksonville could give Jones an opportunity to resurrect his career.

As for New England, they will get another chance to develop a rookie quarterback, assuming they take one with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. All eyes would be on their development process at the position, as they cannot afford to miss on a quarterback again.

Report: Patriots taking trade calls on former starting QB Mac Jones

The Patriots could be on the verge of trading former starting QB Mac Jones

The New England Patriots are reportedly taking trade from other teams for quarterback Mac Jones, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Jones was drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. He was thought to be a franchise-caliber quarterback, and he appeared to be on his way after having a Pro Bowl rookie season. However, inconsistent play and frustrations with the offense hampered him in 2022 and 2023.

He was benched for Bailey Zappe late last season, finishing the year with 2,120 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Now, it appears that New England is at least exploring the possibility of trading him, as reported by Rapoport.

A change of scenery could do some good for both team and player in this situation. The Patriots are also in a prime position to select a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

That could impede Jones’ development even further if he stuck around for another year. This might be a situation where the relationship has simply ran its course.

Patriots QB Mac Jones shouts out Matthew Slater in Instagram post

Mac Jones responds to Matthew Slater’s retirement announcement

New England Patriots special teams ace Matthew Slater officially hung up his cleats on Tuesday, after 16 years of playing in the NFL.

Current and past teammates have been congratulating Slater on social media since the announcement. One of those players is Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, who claimed Slater was the “best to ever do it” in a tribute post in his Instagram stories.

Jones and Slater have been teammates for the previous three seasons. The level-headed Slater often showed his support for Jones, especially throughout last season, as the Alabama product struggled. Slater was well-liked by his teammates, and that included Jones.

It’s becoming a common theme this offseason seeing a Patriots mainstay leave in some form or fashion. Bill Belichick parted ways with the organization after the season, and the team recently released Lawrence Guy and Adrian Phillips.

It truly is a new era for Patriots football in more ways than one.

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NFL insider believes Mac Jones’ cause is lost in New England

What does Mac Jones’ future in New England look like with Jerod Mayo as head coach?

There’s been speculation as to whether New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones will remain on the team for the 2024 season. NFL insider Albert Breer believes the organization will move on from the quarterback in a new report earlier this week.

Jones had a difficult season last year. He tallied 2,120 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was benched multiple times throughout the course of the 2023 season.

He also had problems off the field with him and coach Bill Belichick having a strained relationship. Things were a bit murky in the quarterback room as well, as the communication between Jones and Bailey Zappe faltered.

Breer believes that Jones will not remain on the team, and he elaborated on his point, when asked if Patriots coach Jerod Mayo would give Jones another shot at being a starter in a column for Sports Illustrated:

It’s not that I think Jones is a lost cause. It’s that his cause in New England is lost. …It’s really hard to live down your history with an NFL team, and Jones’s with the New England Patriots is not good. He was drafted 15th and hasn’t come close to living up to his slot. He was good as a rookie, and regressed badly since. He was well-liked early on, but, over time, lost support in the building. And the quarterback room he was in the last two years got toxic, to the point where Bailey Zappe, as a rookie, sometimes watched tape in the receiver room.

That’s a lot of wounds, some self-inflicted, some not, to try and heal—and wounds that Jerod Mayo saw surface with his own eyes as a Patriots assistant. You can’t snap your fingers and make that history disappear with coaches and staff. What happens if Jones comes back and has some bumps in the offseason, in camp or in an early game? Everyone will point right back to the history. Which makes for a tough environment for Jones to try and move forward in, and potentially a tough spot for Mayo to dig his first team out of.

The Patriots undoubtedly need a playmaker in the quarterback room. They are in a good spot to do so, as they have the third overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft.

The quarterback position in this year’s draft is very top-heavy. Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne advocated for LSU star quarterback Jayden Daniels earlier in the month. Drake Maye has also been floated around as a possibility for the Patriots in mock drafts

Whatever the case may be, a fresh start for Jones may be needed, as the quarterback looks to regain his confidence. Whether or not that fresh start will come in New England remains to be seen.

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WR Jakobi Meyers criticizes Patriots for handling of Mac Jones

Jakobi Meyers is coming to the defense of his former quarterback, Mac Jones.

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers was not afraid to call out his former organization for not putting quarterback Mac Jones in a good position to succeed.

Meyers was taken by New England as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2019. He was around for the end of the Tom Brady era, one year with Cam Newton and two years with Jones, before signing a free-agent deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023.

He recorded 71 catches for 807 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns with the Raiders. His best NFL season came with Jones at quarterback in 2021, when he hauled in 83 receptions for 866 yards.

Meyers wasn’t afraid to call out his former team for not putting the right talent around their franchise quarterback.

“Honestly, man, I really don’t like it,” Meyers told NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry, as transcribed by Boston.com’s Conor Ryan. “And this isn’t a knock on Zap (Bailey Zappe), because Zap is a dog too. I like my boy, I’m happy he’s doing well too. But man, how that went down with Mac, I kind of watched it all unfold the last couple of years and I feel like you could’ve seen it a couple years ago and tell that it would end up bad.

“I don’t like singling people out, but I think they had to meet him a little bit more. ‘Cause I know he’s in the building working. I can’t name too many people working harder than him. I hate to see it for him, I really do.”

Meyers’ points aren’t coming out of thin air.

The lack of quality offensive talent is something many have noticed during Jones’ tenure in New England. However, the good news is the Patriots have an opportunity to turn things around with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft and a bunch of cash to spend in free agency.

Tough decisions lie ahead, but the right choices could position New England better for the future.

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Devin McCourty believes change of scenery could be good for Mac Jones

Devin McCourty gave an honest answer when sharing his thoughts on Mac Jones’ future in New England

Former New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty has a plan in regards to what the organization should do with quarterback Mac Jones next season.

Jones’ struggles were well-documented last year. The 2021 first-round draft pick finished the year throwing for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Jones’ progression has fluctuated in New England. He had a promising rookie campaign in 2021. The Alabama product threw for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and got selected for the Pro Bowl. He then struggled in 2022 with defensive coach Matt Patricia serving as the offensive coordinator.

New England brought in longtime offensive play-caller Bill O’Brien in hopes that there would be improvement offensively, but Jones continued to struggle.

Multiple former members of the Patriots organization have weighed in on the quarterback’s future in New England. McCourty spoke on the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast earlier this week, and he believes a change of scenery would do Jones some good.

“Right now, without having that offensive coordinator, if you’re asking my opinion, I’d move on from Mac, start from scratch,” said McCourty, as transcribed by MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian. “I think it would help him to be elsewhere … So I think if the opportunity comes to trade him, I think it will help both sides.”

A reset for both Jones and the Patriots wouldn’t necessarily be the worst thing in the world. Whatever decision is ultimately made could be riding on what New England does with the third overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft.

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Report: Bill Belichick stopped speaking to Mac Jones after Week 12

Bill Belichick reportedly stopped speaking to Mac Jones late in the season

The relationship between New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Mac Jones was not a strong one, to put it mildly. A new report from MassLive’s Mark Daniels suggests the pair did not get along, particularly in the 2023 season.

Jones struggled throughout the entirety of the campaign. He was benched in Week 12 against the New York Giants, and he never regained the starting role, as Bailey Zappe started in every game for the team the rest of the way.

The broken communication between player and coach was evident late in the season. After Week 12, Daniels noted that Belichick stopped speaking to Jones:

After Week 12, when Jones was benched, Belichick eventually stopped speaking to his quarterback. That lack of communication came to a head in the Patriots’ final game. It created an uncomfortable situation. Jones openly rooted for Zappe trying to show coaches he was handling his demotion maturely. However, behind closed doors, observers noted Jones had little support. It seemed like he was being shut out.

Despite Jones rooting for Zappe and his attempts to improve behind the scenes, he was still left in the cold. The greatest example of that was his demotion to third-string quarterback in the season finale against the New York Jets, which he didn’t find out about until 90 minutes before the game.

Even with all of the issues throughout the season, the Patriots haven’t completely closed the door on Jones returning in 2024. The quarterback could benefit from a fresh start under coach Jerod Mayo.

Things didn’t work under Belichick, and they continued to worsen as time passed. Now, Jones can finally look to turn the page to something better, wherever that may be.

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Report: Patriots not shutting door on Mac Jones return in 2024

Mac Jones’ time in New England might not be over just yet

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has been under heavy scrutiny over the last couple of seasons to the point where some thought he might be out the door in 2024.

However, a new report from MassLive’s Mark Daniels suggests that Jones could return for the Patriots next season. One of the biggest reasons for that is coach Jerod Mayo, who might be more open to giving the former first-round draft pick another shot than Bill Belichick.

Daniels wrote:

The relationship between Belichick and Jones ended so poorly that sources all but guaranteed Jones wouldn’t be back with the Patriots had Belichick returned. With Jerod Mayo now in charge, the door isn’t shut, sources agreed.

The quarterback had another difficult season, even after the Patriots brought in Bill O’Brien to take over the offensive play-calling. Jones tallied 2,120 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Perhaps a new coach could help steer Jones in the right direction. The team is also in prime position to move on to another option with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft.

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