Quarterback Mac Jones End to New England Patriots Tenure: 'Not Who He Is'

The New England Patriots parted ways with Mac Jones this offseason, ending the quarterback's three-year tenure by trading him to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Dec 31, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) walks out before playing the Buffalo Bills. / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

It's been only two years since the New England Patriots embarked on an offseason armed with confidence they'd nailed the long-term future of their quarterback position with Mac Jones.

Selected No. 15 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, Jones starred as a rookie, making the Pro Bowl and finishing runner-up in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year race while guiding the Patriots to the playoffs.

Now, Jones is a Jacksonville Jaguar, shortly removed from being traded for a sixth-round pick in the aftermath of a campaign in which he was benched late in several games and ultimately lost his starting job to Bailey Zappe.

The last two years spiraled on Jones and the Patriots, who are now starting fresh with head coach Jerod Mayo and are expected to add a new franchise signal caller with the No. 3 overall pick in April's draft.

It's a twist few could've seen coming during the spring of 2022 - and for Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, the external perception appears to be that Jones' career simply went off the tracks.

"I’m not in the mind of Mac Jones, but you’re a first-round pick and you had an excellent rookie season and then things didn’t go the way you wanted to and then you get sidelined a little bit," Pederson said March 25 at the annual league meetings. "Everything kind of feels like it may have gotten derailed."

Dec 31, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) walks out before playing the Buffalo Bills. / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Jacksonville intends on having Jones as one of three quarterbacks on its roster, as he'll join Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Beathard.

But before the Jaguars start any official offseason programs, Pederson wants to have a conversation with Jones about his psychological state transitioning from a first-round pick to a backup.

"I don’t want him to feel like there’s any pressure on him to perform," Pederson said. " He knows the expectation coming in and what, as a staff, we’re looking for."

The 25-year-old Jones entered the league in 2021 with immense expectations. After all, he was a Heisman Trophy finalist at the University of Alabama who put together one of the most productive single-season campaigns in college football history.

And by all accounts, Jones looked well on his way to living up to the hype early in New England - but the train simply didn't continue on the same track it started.

This past season, the 6-3, 220-pound Jones completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions across 11 starts. The Patriots went just 2-9 under Jones' guidance.

Over the last two years, Jones has thrown 24 touchdowns to 23 interceptions across 25 starts. His numbers have plummeted. So has his stock.

But Pederson doesn't see it that way - and he thinks a return to his hometown can be highly beneficial for Jones.

"That’s not who he is, obviously," Pederson said. "Part of it is just building that confidence back and letting him go out there and compete where he doesn’t have to be the guy. Just go out there and show us what you’re capable of doing and that’s the expectation."

The Patriots will make a road trip to Jacksonville this upcoming season. If all goes according to plan, Jones likely won't play, while New England will boast a new signal caller on a roster that may bare few similarities to the one Jones departed.

But in some world, it's possible this could've been a happy homecoming for Jones, sitting atop his perch as the face of the New England Patriots - it just isn't this one.