The Future Is Bright For Patriots Quarterback Mac Jones

By: Steve Atkinson

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones had a successful rookie season. He finished with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. A quarterback completion percentage of 67.6. He’s partly the reason the team went to the playoffs and was one of the only players on Saturday night that was locked in and really tried his best. He really was missing just one thing. A slot receiver like Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, Ja’Marr  Chase, etc. Kendrick Bourne isn’t a number one receiver he’s more of like a two or three. Neither is Nelson Agholor he’s more of a three or four-receiver on a team. If Jones had a slot receiver a true number one, then they probably win on Saturday against the Bills.

Patriots Won’t Trade Mac Jones

Nationally and locally on Felger and Mazz the talk is to trade Mac Jones for Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, or Deshaun Watson. I’m a no on all of those and at this moment in time would rather have Mac Jones because he has proven to be a franchise quarterback in his rookie season. Before the Bills got Stefon Diggs a true number one receiver Josh Allen in 2018 his rookie season was 5-6, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He threw for 2,074 yards. In 2019 he was 10-6 with 20 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Allen threw for 3,089 yards. In 2020 the Bills get Stefon Diggs and Allen has a 13-3 record with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Allen threw for 4,544 yards last year. Then this year Allen went 11-6 with 36 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He threw for 4,407 yards. Allen’s numbers went up every year and drastically after they got Diggs.

Now, let’s look at Joe Burrow last year before he got hurt. He was 2-7 with 13 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Burrow threw for 2,688 yards he then would be out for the season after tearing his ACL and MCL. The Bengals draft Burrow’s teammate at LSU Ja’Marr Chase and let’s look at how the numbers would skyrocket with a number one slot receiver. Burrow went 10-6 with 34 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He and Allen are both playing in the divisional round this weekend. Mac Jones meanwhile had a better rookie season than both Allen and Burrow and Belichick shouldn’t trade Jones because he isn’t playing in the divisional round this weekend.

The Praise Is High For Jones After His Rookie Season

All the Patriots need to do is draft a receiver maybe a teammate of his at Alabama someone that he is familiar with. They did that for Burrow and look what it did for him and they did that for Allen trading for Diggs. I’m not trading Jones you already have a reliable tight end in Hunter Henry and pieces around him at the receiver position. Just need that number one guy and the offense will take off. Next year the Patriots will go further in the playoffs than they did this year. Here is what long-time Special Teams Capitan Matthew Slater said of Mac Jones after the loss on Saturday.

“I think the future is bright for this organization with that young man. Not just his play on the field, but I think the man that he is, the character that he possesses. He’s the type of man that you hope to build around. I know my kids and I will be watching him for a long time to come. I’m excited about where this organization is going to be with him. It’s certainly been an honor for me to play alongside him and see him grow over the course of the year. Patriots Nation, they should be excited about having no. 10 as their quarterback.”

The Patriots would be beyond dumb to trade their 15th overall pick for an Aaron Rodgers, or someone like that. If that was the case, then you should’ve just kept Brady and let Mac develop till Brady finishes his career. With Brady winning Super Bowls with Tampa and you know that Jones can play the position why not just get him that one missing piece and watch him grow into a more franchise quarterback for this team for years to come.