Patriots' Mac Jones Poised For Breakout Camp?
Quarterbacks much earn the respect of their teammates and coaches before ever being viewed as the face of the franchise. Last season, rookie Mac Jones was still getting adjusted to life in a Bill Belichick offseason.
He's now the unquestioned face of the offense for the New England Patriots. Maybe four years in a Nick Saban-led locker room made the transition easy.
Belichick has praised the development of Jones this offseason as training camp begins in Foxboro. It's more than just shedding weight and building a rapport with his returning receivers. It's commanding respect in the huddle and making the defense work each snap.
And no, Belichick isn't the only high-profile figure to notice the transition.
"Everyone sees Mac and is like, 'Oh, he's quiet.' No, that dude is a competitor. He loves to compete," Patriots' Devin McCourty told NBC Sports Boston's 'The Camera Guys' earlier this week. "You don't just go to Alabama and play for national championships, compete to be a starter on the team and not have something about you that you love to compete. In practice last year, he was a rookie, yeah we were talking trash. We talk trash as much as we can. And he would talk right back with us."
Jones proved that consistency is the biggest trait to a quarterback's early development from the collegiate ranks. While Chicago Bears' Justin Fields might have the better arm and New York Jets' Zach Wilson could be more versatile, neither compared to Jones' overall presence on their respective offenses.
Last season, Jones was one of the biggest reasons New England returned to playoffs and posted 10 wins. He threw for a rookie-high 3,801 yards to go along with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His 67.6 completion percentage was also a rookie-best, just surpassing Houston Texans' Davis Mills.
It's one thing for younger players to listen to a rookie calling out plays. When veterans begin to be fully invested, that's when you know a player has earned their team's respect.
"He’s demonstrated great leadership from the day he walked in this building, and I think he’ll continue to do so," special teams captain Matthew Slater said Tuesday. "We’re all excited about what he’s going to be and what he’s going to provide, not just as a player but as a leader for this organization."
Jones isn't out of the woods yet in terms of pressure. One season isn't going to be enough to convince fans that the heir of Tom Brady is in their midst. He'll need another stellar campaign - or perhaps a Super Bowl - to make fans begin forgetting TB12's time in the spotlight.
McCourty understands that Year 2 in the pros can be challenging. Defensive coordinators have hours of film on Jones. Players can pinpoint minor mistakes made last year and capitalize on making him pay in the future.
"A lot of people are going to watch every move he makes," McCourty said. "Everyone wants a piece of him now. But I think he's a guy that's built for it, being at 'Bama and all the success they've had."
Last season was all about getting Jones acclimated with the offense. This season, it's about building off the initial success found as a rookie.
Jones has the support of veterans. He has Belichick hyping him up to reporters before the start of camp. Knowing both his team and coaches are fully invested could be a reason Jones is set for promising results early in practice.
