Mac Jones he’s at a crossroads in his NFL career, again.
the first New England Patriots The quarterback is set to start Sunday for the Jacksonville Jaguars in relief of the wounded Trevor Lawrence. But with Jones set to become a free agent this offseason, it’s unclear where the quarterback’s career goes from here.
“That’s always the million dollar question for everyone,” Jones said. “You’re either under contract or you’re not. For me, it’s removing the distractions and taking it one day at a time, one play at a time, and it’ll take care of itself.”
Jones’ position in the NFL remains nebulous. Once upon a time, he was a rookie Pro Bowler after being drafted 15th overall. Then it broke out in New England.
The trade that sent him to the hometown Jaguars represented an opportunity for him to rebuild his NFL career. Jones even got another crack at starting after Lawrence suffered a season-ending injury.
But on a bad Jaguars team, Jones hasn’t exactly turned things around. His 2024 numbers are better than his disastrous final season in New England, but not by much. In terms of passing score and yards per attempt, his numbers are a step below his much-maligned 2022 season when Matt Patricia was running the offense in New England.
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson was asked this week about the first-round picks that have changed his career with new teams, including Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. Did Pederson think Jones could join that group?
“I know he’d probably want that in his future — to take over a team again and be the man.” Pederson said. “That’s what he was drafted to do. … Hopefully, I’ve given him a chance. You’ll see what happens over the next few months. But he’s done some good things, and I think if teams evaluate the quarterback position, It’s definitely one you should consider.”
At 26, Jones is still the youngest for a quarterback in the NFL and represents an intriguing target for teams in free agency this offseason. It’s unlikely a team would take him with the intention of him being the starting quarterback. So where could it end up?
Jacksonville could be as good as anyone. It’s his hometown and the quarterback has admitted he’s enjoyed playing there this season. Meanwhile, the Jaguars seem to enjoy having him.
Pederson has praised Jones for the way he’s run the Jaguars offense, which is a good sign. But with the Jaguars sitting at 4-13, it’s far from a guarantee that Pederson will be around much longer.
Where does that leave Jones? As the quarterback said, that’s the million dollar question.
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