Senior Bowl director: What happened in New England was ‘not on Mac Jones’
Jim Nagy doesn't know what went wrong with the Patriots, but he does know it wasn't Mac Jones's fault.
When the Patriots drafted Mac Jones at No. 15 in 2021, NFL.com’s Grant Gordon wrote that New England, “in their post-Brady form, [got] a proven winner in Jones.”
Jones’s college career warranted that optimism. The former Alabama signal caller led the Crimson Tide to a 13-0 season and a national title in 2020.
Now, coming off of a 4-13 season with the Patriots, it’s hard to believe that just three years ago Jones was lauded to be the next franchise quarterback.
Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy remembers Jones’s focus and promise from Nagy’s time spent in Mobile, Ala. ahead of the 2021 draft.
“From the outside looking in, I see a guy that played at a really high level as a rookie and a guy that’s like, wired the right way, total gym rat, like football junkie, and there’s not many of those anymore,” Nagy said on WEEI’s The Gresh & Fauria Show Wednesday.
But what remains of Jones is now just a shadow of the quarterback he was during his time in college. He’s gotten progressively worse by nearly every metric since his debut NFL season. In 2021, Jones played 17 games, threw for 22 touchdowns, 3,801 yards, and 13 interceptions.
Jones only played 11 games this season and was benched several times. He tallied 10 touchdowns, 2,120 passing yards, and 12 interceptions.
“How does that guy fall off? You know what I’m saying? Like to the point where now he probably has to go somewhere else and reset his career? You tell me what happened over the last two years,” Nagy said.
There remains to be any clear answer about who or what is to blame for the rapid decline of Jones. Nagy, however, believes it isn’t the fault of the quarterback.
“To me, what happened up there is not on Mac Jones,” he said.
It’s anticipated that the Patriots will take another quarterback at the NFL draft in April. New England holds onto the No. 3 overall pick, and rumors have already begun to swirl about which player will be chosen.
This draft class is overflowing with quarterback talent, and there is an undeniable need for a quarterback in New England. Some analysts are projecting the University of North Carolina’s Drake Maye will go to the Patriots. Others, however, are proponents for LSU’s Jayden Daniels.
Speculation aside, new head coach Jerod Mayo remains steadfast in his commitment to bring in new talent.
“We’re bringing in talent, one thousand percent,” Mayo said Monday during an interview on WEEI’s Greg Hill Show. “Have a lot of cap space and cash. Ready to burn some cash.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com