After starting 43 games in the NFL, quarterback Mac Jones sat out the final six games of New England’s 2023 season before being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in March. Jones spent the winter preparing for backup duties behind Trevor Lawrence in 2024. But he doesn’t intend to spend the rest of his NFL career in that role, especially since he has a “big burning fire” to play.
“I think when I look back on it, it’s like I usually do my best after my worst,” Jones told WJXT-TV in Jacksonville after practice last week. “That’s how I see things. I did not fare well the last two years up there. I had a successful first year. But, at the end of the day, it’s time for me to perform well again, and that will happen simply by being consistent, working hard, and, as I previously stated, being a wonderful teammate.
Drafted at No. 15 from 2020′s undefeated CFP national-championship team at Alabama, Jones led a playoff squad and went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. But New England’s record in Jones’ starts in the two seasons since was 8-17. The Patriots traded Jones and used the third pick in the NFL Draft on North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye this offseason.
“I’m looking at it as just, like, go out there, have fun, enjoy the game again and be the best player I can be, be the best teammate I can be and take all my experiences good and bad,” Jones stated. “I believe the best people learn from that. I believe there are certain experiences from which I could have learned more effectively, and perhaps they will not occur again. And so I understood that I wanted to focus on moving forward, because you never know what will happen or when your time will come, but you have to be prepared. You never know. That is what I have learnt in the NFL. A lot of guys play, and a lot of guys get in.
“Being the best teammate” for Jones has involved sharing what he’s picked up playing for coaches Nick Saban and Bill Belichick.
“I feel like I took little things that can help me down the line, and I can share that information really with the younger guys,” Jones stated. “That’s how I see things heading into my fourth year. I am working with some of the younger receivers: Hey, try this move. When you watch it come to life in reality, you realize that I didn’t even throw one today – C.J. did – but Brevin (Easton) ran an excellent route. And we discussed it in the film room, which is what it’s all about. And I was overjoyed to see him pull it off. I didn’t even throw the ball to him, but you brought it up, which made me delighted. This is something I learned somewhere else.
