Jaguars’ HC Praises Mac Jones Despite Him Reverting Back to ‘Patriot Ways’

The Jacksonville Jaguars will look to bounce back in 2024 after they slipped in the standings in the second half of the 2023 season.

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Led by quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars’ former No. 1 overall pick, the Jaguars are looking to take back the AFC South, a division many predicted they’d be constant winners in. They have a tough challenge ahead, but they will be right in the mix with Lawrence and head coach Doug Pederson at the helm.

However, if worse comes to worse for Lawrence, he has former first-round draft pick Mac Jones as his backup. Jones has shown flashes of his potential throughout the preseason. Although Pederson liked what he saw from Jones, he still believes that Jones reverts back to his old habits that we had witnessed with the New England Patriots.

“Mac has played extremely well the last couple of weeks and really has bought into what we do,” Pederson said Friday. “He’ll still revert back to his Patriot ways every now and then and we got to remind him he’s in Jacksonville, but he’s done a good job. He’s done a good job managing and running the offense, getting everybody involved. He sees the field well, throws a good ball, so he’s done a good job.”

The Patriots initially drafted Jones with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the same draft class as Lawrence.

It’s been quite the roller coaster for Jones as he struggled mightily to grasp the starting position in New England following the post-Tom Brady era. It was especially a struggle for Jones in the last two years as he recorded an 8-17 record in 25 starts and completed 512 passes for 5,117 yards with a 65.1 completion percentage, 24 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. Jones also had an 81.4 passer rating while averaging 204.7 yards per game.

Although the 25-year-old has struggled throughout his career, he was still able to earn a Pro Bowl selection after his solid rookie campaign, which saw him come in second in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. He threw for 22 touchdowns and 3,801 yards while completing 67.6 percent of his passes.

While Jones may not get the opportunity to shine, the potential is there, and with an offensive coach on his side, this could be the best thing for Jones as he is set to show the football world that he is far from being an afterthought.

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