Getty New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones
It was a frustrating 2022 season for the New England Patriots and Mac Jones and the quarterback wore his emotions on his sleeve. Still, one former player wasn’t happy with how Jones conducted himself.
Legendary Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman appeared on the “Pardon My Take” podcast and continued to call out Jones.
“He’s a good kid, but you see people and who they really are when (expletive) is hitting the fan and you can’t do that as a quarterback,” Edelman said. “He’s a young guy and his situation that he was in — I’m not saying it was an easy situation, especially having Matty P calling plays. But everyone is watching you when you’re the quarterback. There’s something to be said about that, and there’s a standard. There’s rules.
“Don’t come at me saying, ‘Oh, well Brady,’ Brady had like three Super Bowls when (expletive) showed up a coach for one — for the first time,” Edelman added. “Not showed up a coach, but he got into an argument with someone and showed emotion. You can’t do that, especially when you’re still trying to learn who you are.”
Jones threw for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions per Pro Football Reference.
Julian Edelman Previously Ripped on Mac Jones for his Faces
This isn’t the first time that Edelman has commented on Jones’ behavior. Edelman talked about his on-field antics after New England’s Week 15 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Season’s on the line,” Edelman said on “Inside the NFL.” ” … You’ve gotta trip him.”
Brandon Marshall, who is also on the show mentioned that teams don’t practice these types of situations which prompted Edelman to make a joke about Jones.
“He doesn’t practice all the antics after plays, and waving off coaches and all these little pissy faces and stuff,” Edelman said. “He doesn’t practice that and he does it. Why can’t he make the tackle?”
The New England Patriots Didn’t Sign Bill O’Brien Last Year Due to Threat of Him Landing Head Coaching Job
With Bill O’Brien joining the Patriots coaching staff in 2023, fans wondered why he wasn’t brought in for the 2022 season. SI’s Albert Breer reported that New England didn’t sign him due to the potential of O’Brien leaving for a head coaching job.
“(I)t’s certainly fair to ask why (Belichick) didn’t just go get O’Brien last year,” Breer wrote. “I’m told the reason he didn’t even pursue it with Saban was out of fear that O’Brien might do well enough in a year to land a head coaching job elsewhere, leaving the Patriots to replace a coordinator two years in a row.”
Breer added that last season, Belichick even had input in offensive play calling.
“I’d add that Belichick himself is on the hook for all this, too,” Breer wrote. “My understanding is Belichick was active on the headsets on game day, having the sort of oversight over the offense that he’d traditionally had over the defense, and moonlighting as play-caller at points (which is why, at times, calls were late going in, and the offense could look messy from an operational standpoint).”