Consistency is key in the NFL and around the league, New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is being praised for his ability to maintain a sufficient level of play.
ALL the latest Patriots news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Patriots newsletter here!
In his rookie season, Jones impressed having one of the best seasons of any rookie quarterback. He led all rookies in passing touchdowns (22) and helped lead New England back to the playoffs. Jones even earned himself a Pro Bowl nod in his debut NFL season.
Heavy’s senior NFL reporter Matt Lombardo detailed in his weekly In The Trenches column, how NFL executives view the young quarterback drafted out of Alabama.
“What I really like about Mac Jones,” an NFC executive told Lombardo, “is that he’s going to play every Sunday. He may throw for 250-300 yards every week, he’s going to be smart, he’s not going to have a lot of turnovers, and he’s going to be the ‘move the chains’ guy. The same thing he was last year.”
Jones’ 92.5 passer rating and measly 13 interceptions in 2021 are a testament to his consistency and intelligence when throwing the ball.
Still, the NFC executive thinks that Jones has a limited ceiling and owes a lot of his success to the team that was around him in his rookie season.
“The thing with Mac Jones is that he’s going to be the same player,” the NFC personnel executive told Lombardo. “He’s the same guy he was last year, and he’ll be the same guy 10 years from now. The only reason he was a Pro Bowl type quarterback [last season] is because he has a hell of a running game, a hell of a defense, a hell of a team around him, and the greatest coach to ever do it.”
What Is Jones Surrounded by in 2022?
This season, the Patriots have had some significant changes both on and off the field.
New England has given more weapons for Jones to throw to, mainly DeVante Parker. After being acquired via a trade with the Miami Dolphins, Parker is now the only wide receiver on the Patriots roster to ever eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
But New England also suffered some major losses. Josh McDaniels is now the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders leaving a large hole on the sideline. On defense, J.C. Jackson, Dont’a Hightower, and Kyle Van Noy have all departed as well.
Jones’ second NFL season will be a real indicator if he is here to stay or if last season was a fluke. While executives around the league have touted his consistency, being able to maintain that after all the changes the Patriots underwent this offseason will not be easy.
Patriots Roster Cut Down: Ronnie Perkins Placed on Injured Reserve
Perkins has had a rough start to his NFL career. After not playing a snap in his first NFL season, that will be the case once again for the linebacker after he was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday.
Perkins played 17 snaps on defense and eight on special teams in last Friday’s August 19 win over the Carolina Panthers, recording 1.0 sack.
Comments
Patriots: NFL Exec Reveals ‘The Only Reason’ Behind Mac Jones’ Early Success