The New England Patriots drafted Mac Jones with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He started straight away ahead of Cam Newton in his rookie season and made the Pro Bowl.
Unfortunately, everything went downhill after his rookie season. In the following two seasons, Jones was benched multiple times and was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars this past offseason in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
Former Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich recently talked about Jones and made sure that everyone knows that he isn't a fan of the former Alabama quarterback. When told that Jones probably hates him, Ninkovich said:
"I don’t give a f**k… I’ll smack the s**t out of f***ing Mac Jones… I don’t care… Do you care if somebody doesn’t like you? Exactly. F**k em’. I hope he has a great career... as a backup. Makes a ton of money."
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"It didn’t work out. It didn’t work out. They needed a change. The demeanor! The demeanor alone between Mac Jones and Drake Maye are completely different… I’d rather listen to Drake Maye talk..."
The Patriots drafted Drake Maye with the third overall pick in this year's draft. Although he impressed everyone in the preseason, Jacoby Brissett will start for the franchise in Week 1.
The Patriots are taking a very cautious approach with Maye and don't want him to end up like Jones. As a result, they want to give the rookie quarterback enough time to develop so that he doesn't get benched once he steps up on the field.
Mac Jones will be Jaguars' QB 2 in 2024
Mac Jones will be Trevor Lawrence's backup in Jacksonville this year. The AFC South franchise declined his fifth-year option, but if he continues to be a good teammate behind the scenes, the Jaguars might keep him beyond this year.
Jones is a reliable backup in case Lawrence gets injured. Both the Jaguars' quarterbacks were part of the 2021 draft class, and although Lawrence recently signed a five-year, $275 million deal, he still has a lot to prove.
As for Jones, he should focus on getting better during practices so that once he gets an opportunity, he doesn't fail. He can have a long career in the NFL as a backup, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he gets another chance to start for a team.
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