Mac Jones, a New England Patriots star back, criticizes the former coaching staff.
Mac Jones, the New England Patriots quarterback, has faced tremendous criticism since the organization selected him first in the 2021 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, Jones led New England to the playoffs and appeared to be a franchise quarterback. Since then, Alabama’s product has been on a steady decline. He has an 8-17 record as a starter, with 24 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in the last two seasons.
It’s nearly a certainty that the Patriots’ new management will deal Jones here shortly. They have the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and have been linked to several signal callers scheduled to enter free agency.
Jones and the Patriots would face an acrimonious divorce following the departure of iconic head coach Bill Belichick. But that won’t happen without some help from his soon-to-be former teammates.
“When Mac was comfortable and had a good system, he produced and put up numbers,” Judon told Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. “And when you stated we scored 45-7 [against Cleveland in 2021], Mac Jones led the club. We know he can do it. He must regain his confidence, reestablish his stride, and establish a rhythm. And it is going to be difficult. “This is his fourth offensive coordinator in four years.”
In Jones’ debut season, Josh McDaniels served as New England’s offensive coordinator. Following McDaniels’ departure to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, Joe Judge and Matt Patricia took over. Before Jones’ sophomore season, neither had any offensive play-calling experience. When that experiment flopped spectacularly, Bill O’Brien was brought in to handle things this season. It’s hardly the best situation for a young quarterback.
Judon was also asked if he thought Jones couldn’t turn things around. His reply was eye-opening.
“Nah, I think once you catch a stride, catch a rhythm—that’s what they were talking about with Baker Mayfield,” Judon went on to say. “Now we’re talking about Mayfield being one of the first people off the board in free agency.”
Despite these strong words of support for Jones, the quarterback will relocate to another NFL city next season. Where that could be is anyone’s guess.
He has been connected to both the Las Vegas Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers since the 2023 season concluded. Vegas would fight for a starting job, while San Francisco would serve as Brock Purdy’s backup.
