Getty Patriots QB Mac Jones was traded to Jacksonville this week.
We can all agree on this aspect of the Mac Jones tenure with the Patriots: It was a wild ride. From the time the Patriots dived in on Jones with the No. 15 pick in the 2021 draft, through his promising and exciting 10-7 rookie season, it sure looked like the Pats had their quarterback of the future.
Then came the bizarre Matt Patricia offensive coordinator season and Jones’ inability to be a leader and control his frustrations, followed by the 4-13 disaster of 2023, during which the wheels fell off completely for Jones. The Patriots had seen enough, and dealt Jones away this week to the Jaguars for the paltry return of a sixth-round pick.
On Thursday, three days after the trade, Jones finally sent out a message to the Patriots and the team’s fan. Writing on a graphic posted to Twitter/X, Jones said:
“The last three seasons with the New England Patriots are years I will cherish for the rest of my life. I will always be grateful for my time in New England and for the opportunity to start my career in the NFL.”
Thank you, New England!
Mac Jones Thanks Coaches
If only we could go back to those start-of-career days, eh? As a rookie, Jones recorded 3,801 yards passing and 22 touchdowns, getting himself a slot in the Pro Bowl. Then came the coordinator mess, and the plundering of Jones’ confidence with it.
Jones thanked the team’s owner, Robert Kraft, then thanks the guy probably most responsible for the deterioration of his career, former coach Bill Belichick. “To coach Belichick and all the coaches and support staff who helped me each and every day, including training, equipment, strength, video staff, and everyone in between, thank you for all you did to help prepare me over the years. I truly appreciate each and every one of you,” Jones said.
Of course, he also gained some attention around New England for too publicly castigating his coaches and showing his frustrations when things went badly. That tendency showed itself in 2022, but did not stop in 2023.
Jones had some decent moments, but overall, appeared to completely lack confidence last year. He passed for just 2,997 yards and 14 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.
Patriots Fans Were Ready to Move On
Jones did alienate teammates as well as coaches during his time with the Patriots, but he did thank those teammates nonetheless.
“To my teammates, it was an honor to play alongside you these last three years and I will always cherish the friendships that we built,” he wrote.
He also pretty well lost the fan base, too. Patriots fans showed considerable interest in Bailey Zappe when he took over the starting job briefly in 2022, when Jones was injured, and there was a sizable portion of fans who wanted Zappe to have a chance to be the starter. If there was one thing that became clear during the course of 2023, though, it was that pretty much no one in New England wanted Zappe or Jones in the job.
Still, Jones offered his thanks:
“And finally, thank you to the fans for always showing up and supporting mew and the Patriots. It has been a blessing to be a part of the Patriots organization and I will always have love for the New England community.”