After the New England Patriots traded Mac Jones to Jacksonville, the former Alabama quarterback hoped to “get the train back on the tracks” with the Jaguars.
A starter from his first NFL game with the Patriots in 2021, Jones lost that position with six games remaining in 2023 season.
With one season left on Jones’ guaranteed contract, New England gave up on the quarterback. Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson also used a train reference when asked if the Jaguars were getting damaged goods with Jones.
“He knows the expectation coming in and what we, as a staff, are looking for.
But, yeah, you’re right, I’m not in the mind of Mac Jones, but you’re a first-round pick, you had an excellent rookie season, and then things kind of didn’t go the way you wanted them to and then you get sidelined a little bit in there and everything feels like it may have gotten derailed.
And that’s not who he is, obviously,” Pederson stated while attending the league’s annual meeting this week in Orlando, Florida.
Regaining his confidence and allowing him to compete in a situation where he need not be the favorite are also important aspects of the process. The assumption is that he will go out there and demonstrate his abilities.
Jones is not going to challenge for Jacksonville’s starting position. Trevor Lawrence, the quarterback for Clemson, was selected first overall by the Jaguars in the same draft in which Jones was chosen as the fifteenth pick. Jones will be Lawrence’s backup along with C.J. Beathard.
Jones has to “really give us three quarterbacks you’re going to need, as we’ve seen, as history would say,” according to Pederson, who spoke on behalf of Jacksonville. But keeping Trevor healthy is our top priority. Maintaining Trevor’s health is our best chance of winning games.
For the Patriots, Jones started all 42 of his games. However, Jones was benched for the next six games as New England headed toward a 4-13 record in 2023 and the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jones completed 352-of-521 passes for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his rookie season in the NFL. With a 10-7 record, the Patriots qualified for the postseason. Jones participated in the Pro Bowl and came in second in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Jones completed 288 of 442 passes for 2,997 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his second season of play. With an 8-9 record, Jones’ team was eliminated from the playoffs, and he missed three games due to an ankle ailment.
Jones completed 224 of 345 passes for 2,120 yards and 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his third season of play.
During Jones’ debut season, Josh McDaniels was the offensive coordinator for New England. In his second season as the Patriots played without an offensive coordinator, Jones collaborated with former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as his playcaller when McDaniels resigned to become the coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Bill O’Brien, the former head coach of the Houston Texans and offensive coordinator for Alabama, was hired by New England in 2023 to oversee their attack.
