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Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason is not a fan of New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. In an interview on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show on January 2, the former NFL MVP didn’t hold back in his criticism of the second-year signal-caller.
“Here’s the thing that I really dislike about Mac Jones if you want to get to the root of it,” Esiason said on the podcast. “His body language, his facial expressions, his gyrations on the field piss me off. There’s a douchiness to them.”
Former Patriots Also Called Out Mac Jones
Esiason isn’t the first former player to take issue with Jones’ facial expressions. Former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman called out Jones for his “little pissy faces and stuff,” while discussing his former team’s collapse against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16 of Inside the NFL.
Former Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork also joined the chorus of Jones’ critics in an interview with Tom Giles of NBC Sports Boston.
“I’m tired of it,” Wilfork said of Jones’ open displays of frustration on the field. “You’re the leader of this team, you’re the quarterback. So, you can’t be frustrated every single week, every single play.”
Esiason added that former Pats quarterback and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady “can be douchey too, at times,” but with an important difference.
“He [Brady] can be yelling at his players and everything else, but Tom Brady then goes out and backs it up,” Esiason said. “He goes and plays his ass off and gets his team to the playoffs again yesterday.”
Last season, Jones led the Patriots to the playoffs with a 10-7 record. This year the team is 8-8 and the No. 7 seed in the AFC after their 21-23 win over the Dolphins on New Year’s Day. If they upset the Bills in Week 18, New England will automatically qualify for the postseason.
Still, Esiason said he didn’t know if Jones had “earned the right to act the way that he does.”
“Body language for a quarterback is so important,” he said. “I hate when quarterbacks sulk on the sideline. They have to be above all of that. They have to have the backbone. They have to have the leadership bone. They have to be able to look guys in the face and know what they’re doing. Don’t come off with your hands in the air.”
Mac Jones Responded to Boomer Esiason’s Criticism
Jones responded to Esiason’s comments during his weekly appearance on The Greg Hill Show.
“For me, it’s just trying to channel my competitiveness in a good way, and continue to be Mac,” Jones said. “For me, it’s all about my teammates and people in the building. Obviously, I wanna have respect for everybody that plays in this league, and coaches in this league.”
While Jones didn’t address Esiason directly, the quarterback said he is more concerned with the opinions of his teammates and coaches.
“There’s definitely things I can get better at, just like with execution and football plays,” Jones said. “It’s the same idea, just trying to grow, and earn the respect of people, obviously and most importantly, in the building. That’s my main focus. Getting better every day and getting ready to play this Bills team. It’s going to be a big challenge.”
Next up in Week 18, the Patriots face a huge challenge as they prepare to travel to Buffalo to face a Bills team still dealing with the aftermath of Damar Hamlin’s on-field collapse and hospitalization on Monday, January 2.
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