The anchor of Fox Sports, Kevin Wildes, has a wonderful last name when it comes to his opinions of Mac Jones.
The Connecticut native Wildes, a co-host of Fox Sports 1’s discussion show “First Things First,” has gained notoriety for his ardent defense of Jones, the former quarterback for the New England Patriots who was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
In honor of the deal, Monday’s show began with a montage of Wildes’ aging impressions of Jones, in which he referred to the 2021 first-round selection as the “Baby GOAT.”
Jones’ move to Jacksonville hasn’t dampened Wildes’ enthusiasm, though. According to Wildes, there is a quarterback controversy developing in Duval, and the Jaguars chose to backup Lawrence with a different young thrower rather than a more seasoned veteran who could provide guidance.
To the confusion of co-hosts Chris Broussard and Nick Wright, Wildes remarked, “I’m just saying that the idea that there’s this massive gulf between Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones… I don’t think people have looked at the numbers.” “Patrick Mahomes does not have his support. He is not supporting Joe Burrow. He is supporting a man whose numbers appear to be rather close.”
Jones may have a slight edge in a few statistical areas, according to a graphic created by the producers, but the data is somewhat skewed because of the former Patriot’s struggles to stay on the field.
For instance, Wildes happily reported that Lawrence had lost all five of his starts under Jacksonville center the previous season, only to later acknowledge that Jones had also lost all four of his own starts and had been benched, meaning he was unable to complete the campaign.
While it is true that Lawrence has struggled to live up to the high expectations that were placed on him as the number one choice in the 2021 draft, there is no evidence that the Jaguars signed Jones to be an early replacement.
In addition, Jones’ role as Lawrence’s backup in September is uncertain because CJ Beathard, the current backup, is still bound by contract.
Though Jones did show occasional glimpses of brilliance while serving as Tom Brady’s heir, there was no sign of longevity in the franchise man role.
There’s a potential that the Patriots may witness the revolution personally if/when Wildes’ prophecy comes true, given their four-game AFC South schedule in 2024 includes a road trip to Jacksonville.
