JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mac Jones understands the deal.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ backup quarterback has embraced an opportunity to smash the reset button for his hometown team. After a rocky exit from the New England Patriots, who selected him with the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Jones exudes the air of a new man.
He sounds and looks rested. His perspective has improved. He is all in for the comeback.
“The whole change of scenery definitely helped,” Jones told The Athletic on Wednesday after his first training camp practice. “I’m just having fun playing football. I’m at my best when I’m keeping it loose, letting it rip and having that gunslinger mindset that I maybe had lost a little bit of. But I got it back here, and you’ve just got to be consistent with it. It’s good days, bad days and everything in between.”
In March, Jones was dealt by the Patriots for a sixth-round selection, bringing an abrupt end to a project that was a complete failure. Jones was selected in the first round with the intention of succeeding Tom Brady as the team’s long-term quarterback. As a rookie, he defeated Cam Newton for the starting position.
Naturally, everything collapsed shortly afterward in ways that have been well reported already. It was time to part ways with Jones as well, especially with the Patriots beginning over this summer.
Regardless of how Jones’ career develops going forward and how long he stays with the Jaguars, arriving in Jacksonville in 2024 may have been the best option for him. His friends and family are close by, so he can psychologically recharge. He may remove whatever responsibility he may have by firmly positioning himself behind Trevor Lawrence in the depth chart. Additionally, Jones’ faith in head coach Doug Pederson’s quarterback-friendly offense can be restored.
That last part is the most important segment of the equation.
“I think the change of scenery for him is good,” Pederson told The Athletic. “Coming back home to Jacksonville is good. He’s in a great (QB) room. He’s being taught ball here. (Quarterbacks coach) Mike McCoy does a great job of getting guys equal reps. There’s something to be said for … (starting over). In this case, I think it’s a positive to change venues.”
Jones, Lawrence, and Pederson are all symmetrical. After a turbulent debut season under previous Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer, Lawrence admitted the need to regain his confidence. In terms of both personality and football acumen, Pederson turned out to be the ideal candidate for the position.
Jones and Lawrence have already shared with one another how Pederson has changed the way they see the world.
“We’ve both been through a lot in our own ways,” Jones said. “(Lawrence) has done a good job getting back on his feet, obviously, with the (recently signed five-year, $275 million) contract, taking them to the playoffs (in 2022) and playing really good football. I think it just shows you football is a game of ebbs and flows. At some point, it’s going to come your way if you just keep working for it. I know that’ll happen.”
Jones has valued the coaching staff’s in-depth knowledge of how his position is played in addition to Pederson’s system. Former NFL quarterbacks Pederson and McCoy as well as offensive coordinator Press Taylor all have collegiate experience.
Therefore, there is a high degree of trust among the players that the message is coming from a place of related experience when they lecture about specific principles or reads or throws.
“They know what it’s like to be back there,” Jones said. “Not just the quarterbacks, but everyone kind of thinks like a quarterback in this offense. You’ve got to be smart. You’ve got to know what the quarterback is thinking. It also allows the quarterback to be free and play fast. You can see that with Trevor the past couple of years.
“You’ve got so many voices in there who are helping you see the game through a quarterback lens, and I think that really helps.”
In case Lawrence struggles with the injury bug that wrecked the second half of his 2023 season, the Jaguars wanted Jones to add depth to the roster. Thus, although there is some entertainment value to the tale of a hometown reclamation project, this coupling serves a commercial purpose. It is everyone’s responsibility to make sure Jones is prepared if he is ever just one play away from entering the huddle.
And Jones is still working to establish his value in case that opportunity does not arise. During his time at Alabama, he showed himself to be a fierce scout-team quarterback, and he will be happy to use that ability if needed. As the backup, he will inevitably work with many of the younger players, and it has always been his goal to assist them in any way that he can.
Jones has offered to help them if they need to catch extra passes or stay later to watch more movies. He compared it to his first season with the Patriots, when a young team came together to surpass expectations and make the postseason.
“I just want to go out there and put on a show and bring other people with me,” Jones said. “Bring maybe a rookie undrafted kid who has a chance to make the team: ‘Hey, how can you get better? How can I help you?’ Whatever I can do to bring those guys (along). I think when you elevate the young guys, it pushes everybody.”
Jones made repeated references to “putting on a show” during the conversation. At the very least, it appeared to be a throwback to the free-spirited playing style he had during his great 2021 season, when he danced on the practice field and during games. He was very much himself.
After the first two seasons, everything was much stiffer. In 2022, Matt Patricia’s offense failed to gain traction, and there were indications of excessive coaching, including one-read play calls that prevented the quarterback from altering his strategy based on the defensive alignment. For two years, the perpetual possibility of being benched loomed large, and the inability to win broke everyone’s heart inside Gillette Stadium.
Naturally, Jones was hardly an innocent bystander when the Patriots got out of hand. Even while his frustrations were legitimate, they could have been better controlled in the harsh limelight. However, those on-field meltdowns or instances of a devastated manner following defeats were clear signs of a player who had lost his edge.
The more laid-back Jones has been observed by the Jaguars. Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke complimented Jones’ zeal and vigor in the meeting rooms and on the field right away. Jones was described by Baalke as a “football junkie.” Through shared acquaintances and recruiting circles, Lawrence has known Jones since high school and has liked hearing his take on a variety of reads.
But “the show” Jones mentioned also had a deeper meaning. It was an all-encompassing definition of the position’s responsibilities.
“Honestly, it’s most importantly putting points on the board and getting fans and your teammates excited,” Jones explained. “Try to get them the ball. Try to let them score. That creates the energy.
“It’s all about putting on a show. You’re out there (as) a performer, right? You’re the quarterback orchestrating a performance. You’ve got to have the receivers in the right places. The line has to block. The running back has to get open. You should do that if you’re on the scout team or if you’re playing in a playoff game. It doesn’t really matter to me. … It’s a game we all love. Just go out there and have fun with it.”
Mac Jones on the field for 1st day of training camp. pic.twitter.com/F3fvcsIpde
— Jamal St. Cyr (@JStCyrTV) July 24, 2024
Jones is on the last year of his rookie contract, and after his first season with the Jaguars, who knows what the future holds. There have been numerous quarterbacks who have been stuck in the backup circuit for every former starter who has been able to successfully turn their career around.
However, at this precise moment, Jones appears more like the carefree quarterback who walked onto the stage on draft night to enter the NFL.
That is a rejuvenating place to start if this self-rebuild is going to have any chance.
(Top photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck / USA Today)
