Mac Jones addresses ‘mutual parting of ways’ from Patriots
Jan 17, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) arrives to a press conference held at Gillette Stadium to announce the team's hiring of new head coach Jerod Mayo (not pictured). Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
On Thursday afternoon, the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars officially announced the trade that sends quarterback Mac Jones to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick. That deal was initially reported on Sunday.
Along with the announcement, the Jaguars held a press conference with Jones speaking to Jacksonville Media. Jones, who is from Jacksonville, discussed his departure from the Patriots during that availability.
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“We kind of just decided the mutual parting of ways was the best decision for both of us,” Jones explained. “For me it was just about moving on and getting back home and I can’t be more excited, and for them, it’s about moving forward and turning the page, so, really that’s kind of what we decided and I think it’s a great decision.”
Jones, 25, was the Patriots’ first-round pick in 2021 out of Alabama. After a promising rookie year in which the team made the playoffs, Jones struggled over the last two years before being benched after the bye week this past November.
Still, Jones was complimentary of his time with the Patriots – and head coach Bill Belichick – when speaking to Jacksonville media. “A lot of great learning experiences,” he said of his tenure in New England. “Learned from a great coach, obviously, one of the greatest of all time and fortunate to work with some great head coaches and learned a lot. Played a lot of games – started a lot of games, and obviously things went the way they did and my goal is to get the train back on the tracks.”
In Jacksonville, Jones is expected to back up returning starter and 2021 first-overall pick Trevor Lawrence. Assuming the Jaguars don’t pick up Jones’ fifth-year option this spring (which would cost them over $20 million), he’ll be a free agent at this time next year.
Meanwhile, the question about who takes over for Jones as the next potential franchise quarterback of the Patriots remains. The Patriots have done their work on the top three quarterbacks in this year’s draft, suggesting that question could be answered with the third overall pick. You can check out our rankings of this year’s quarterback class below…
Barth’s 2024 quarterback big board: Post-NFL Combine
![NFL Draft quarterback rankings](https://985thesportshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2024/03/New-Project-1-1-1024x538.jpg)
Which quarterbacks helped or hurt their draft stocks over the past month? Time to update our NFL Draft quarterback rankings (USA Today Images)
It’s now been just over a month since we released our initial quarterback rankings for the 2024 NFL Draft class. A lot has happened since then, meaning it’s time for an update.
The first month-plus of the pre-draft process included the All-Star games (ex. Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl) in late January and early February, and then the NFL Combine over the weekend. The Combine both provided a chance to see the quarterbacks together on the field (although the projected top three picks sat out the on-field portion of the event), as well as get the rumors about how the players are viewed by teams behind the scenes.
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Our new rankings reflect what’s been learned over the last month while still keeping in mind that what the players did on the field is the biggest determining factor in their projections (which is true at any position, not just quarterback). With more exposure to some of the quarterbacks in this year’s class we’re also going to add three spots to our rankings, including 15 quarterbacks instead of 10.
With the Patriots holding the third overall pick, which they’re expected to use on a quarterback, the rankings past QB3 might not matter. Still, with very lucrative trade back options likely on the table, as well as the possibility of doubling up at the quarterback position later on Day 3 (a la Washington with Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins in 2012), it can’t hurt to become familiar with the group as a whole. But of course, we’ll start at the top.
Alex Barth is a digital content producer and on-air host for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Barth grew up in the Boston area and began covering both the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics, and Boston Red Sox in 2017 before joining the Hub in 2020. He now covers all things Boston Sports for 985TheSportsHub.com as well as appearing on air. Alex writes about all New England sports, as well as college football. You can follow him across all social media platforms at @RealAlexBarth.