Super Bowl champion blasts Patriots' Mac Jones for 2022 antics

Former New England Patriots offensive lineman and three-time Super Bowl champion Matt Light suggested quarterback Mac Jones disappointed teammates with more than just his lackluster play last season. 

"I don't like what I saw last season for a lot of reasons," Light said about Jones' performances during a chat with Patriots insider Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston. "And as an offensive lineman, I don't ever want the guy behind me to ever put himself in a position that Mac did. Just in terms of the antics, the optics." 

Jones went viral on multiple occasions during the 2022 season when he vocally complained as the offense failed to produce positive results under then-assistants Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. The Patriots ultimately finished the campaign at 8-9, and Jones' long-term future with the organization remains in question. 

"It's bigger than you, Mac," Light continued. "It always has been for the organizations and the individuals that do it at the highest level. By the way, not for nothing, you don't think that Tom Brady had the right to do that? But about five years into his 20-year career. And Mac's doing this one year in?" 

For better or for worse, Jones is New England's undisputed QB1 heading into the Week 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 10. Light warned that Jones needs to avoid causing any potential locker room disruptions as the 24-year-old attempts to extend his Patriots career beyond the upcoming season. 

"I was disappointed in how that played out during the regular season," Light added. "And I think it opened up the door to be a distraction for everyone else in that locker room. Do I think he's talented? Yeah, for sure. I know he's talented. But this will be the year to see, can he put aside the things that can really make a workplace difficult and just focus on being the best version of himself that he can possibly be?"

Jones received a "fresh start" this offseason working under new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, and it's thought the 2021 first-round draft pick will now have few excuses if he fails to reclaim the form that made him a Pro Bowl selection as a first-year pro. The Patriots must decide about the fifth-year option attached to Jones' rookie contract next spring, but the club theoretically could either sign him to an extension at any point after the season or trade him before the 2024 NFL Draft.