Did JuJu Smith-Schuster compare Mac Jones to Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes?

New England Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster remains high on quarterback Mac Jones as of early training camp. 

"The guy is just super intelligent and his work ethic is the best," Smith-Schuster said about Jones on Thursday, as shared by Dakota Randall of NESN. "I’ve seen a lot of guys come into the office early, put in the work, leave late — and he’s one of those guys. The communication between me and him and a lot of the receivers… he speaks up."

Smith-Schuster didn't specify any of the "guys," but it's worth noting that the 2017 second-round draft pick had future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger as a teammate with the Pittsburgh Steelers for his first five NFL seasons. The 26-year-old then earned a Super Bowl ring playing alongside Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs this past February. 

Shortly after Smith-Schuster signed a three-year, $33M contract to join the Patriots in March, he noted he wanted to play for New England head coach Bill Belichick and later revealed he was impressed with Jones' leadership and work ethic. Smith-Schuster expanded on Jones' positive traits during Thursday's media availability. 

"He sees what he sees and he talks about it," Smith-Schuster added about Jones. "And that’s what’s great about us: There’s no gray area in this offense. We speak about it, we talk about it, we fix it. And then we move on." 

Smith-Schuster should have an even larger role in the New England offense than thought just a few weeks ago after DeAndre Hopkins chose to sign with the Tennessee Titans instead of the Patriots. Jones, meanwhile, is attempting to make the most out of a "fresh start" while working under new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. 

Interestingly, Randall mentioned that Jones and Smith-Schuster hooked up for a pair of touchdowns during Thursday's practice session, a session that offered zero signs 2022 rookie Bailey Zappe is anything other than Jones' primary backup at the close of July.