The inevitable has finally happened, as the New England Patriots have orchestrated a trade to send quarterback Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jones, a former first-round pick and one-time Pro Bowl selection, had spent the entirety of his professional career with the New England Patriots.
Patriots trade Mac Jones to Jacksonville Jaguars
Jones ended his Patriots career on the lowest of notes. After a disappointing 2022 season with Matt Patricia running the offense, New England hoped that Bill O’Brien could help resurrect the quarterback’s career. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, as Jones had his worst professional season to date during the past campaign. Starting in 11 games, the quarterback completed 64.9% of his passes for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions before getting benched for the remainder of the season. While the subpar Patriots offensive line and receivers certainly didn’t help matters, it’s clear that Jones wore out his welcome with his former team.
Jones originally entered the league as a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Selected by the New England Patriots, the Alabama product was supposed to begin his career on the bench learning behind Cam Newton. After an impressive preseason, though, the rookie won the Week 1 starting job. Starting in all 17 games that season, Jones led the Patriots to a 10-7 record while completing 67.6% of his passes for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. While New England’s season ended with a blowout playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, the future appeared bright for the rookie Pro Bowler.
However, the wheels quickly fell off the wagon. With Josh McDaniels becoming the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, the Patriots hired Matt Patricia to be the de facto offensive coordinator. This didn’t go well, as Jones regressed horribly. Starting in 14 games, the quarterback completed 65.2% of his passes for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
In his three seasons before the trade, Jones completed 66.1% of his passes for 8,918 yards, 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.
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