New England Patriots Ex Jack Jones Blames Mac Jones Failure on Fans

Former New England Patriot Jack Jones absolved both Mac Jones and Bill Belichick of blame for their cursed collaboration in Foxborough.

A young fan watches New England Patriots defensive back Jack Jones (13) from behind a fence at / Seeger Gray/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Former New England Patriots defender Jack Jones advised any member of the Foxborough faithful looking for those responsible for the failed Mac Jones era to seek nothing further than the nearest mirror.

Jack Jones (no relation) took to X to pass the blame for Mac Jones looking "happier" with the Jacksonville Jaguars, implying that it was not Bill Belichick's influence or the quarterback's play that set things sour, but rather the weighty expectations that Patriots fans burdened him with.

Jan 17, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) arrives to a / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

"They said Mac look(s) happier in Jax ... it was NE it wasn’t bill NE fans [sic]," the current Las Vegas Raider said in a post, following that statement with a series of thumbs down emojis, implying that there would be more if not for character limits. "x1000000000000."

It's certainly easy to see why Mac Jones would be happier in Duval County: the collegiate national champion grew up in Jacksonville and there are certainly lowered expectations as the (presumed) backup Trevor Lawrence than there are as the heir to the Tom Brady throne. Jones is also apparently free to engage in one of his unexpected favorite hobbies.

But there's no denying that Mac Jones' own reign in the New England backfield had run its course, as he amassed an 81.4 passer rating in his latter two seasons after a promising debut campaign yielded a playoff appearance. New England opted to move on from both Joneses amidst last season's four-win slog, with Mac traded south for meager draft compensation. He fared only sightly better than Jack, who was bid farewell in November before signing in Sin City.