Despite what we may have seen throughout his rookie season in Foxborough, the general consensus throughout Patriot Nation this winter was that Mac Jones indeed has a personality outside of football that revolves around something, anything other than just getting better.
He is, after all, considered to be the next Joe Burrow by some in these parts. And if that comparison holds any water, it means Jones certainly has to bring more than an aw shucks work ethic to the football field and his community.
Those on the Jones personality bandwagon were emboldened by the rookie QB’s performance at the Pro Bowl last month. He was the star of the show not because of the way he threw the football, but thanks to his interactions with other star NFL players, his mic’d-up boisterous energy and, above all, his didn’t-count long run that he celebrated in the end zone with his best Griddy performance.
Away from the restrictions of Bill Belichick’s overbearing manipulations, Jones actually seemed to be a fun-loving, outgoing, personable star among stars.
Then, the guy who did his best to avoid every question he got via press conferences, Zoom calls and weekly Monday chats on the Merloni and Fauria show on WEEI, actually made the media rounds on Super Bowl week in a bought-and-paid appearance for an apparel company. Of course the promotional tour didn’t have much time for the local New England media looking for an update from its supposedly rising star QB.
Jones did however, spend a few minutes with a crew from his Patriots employer – the logo of the company he was pimping as prominently placed on the Patriots.com screen as it was the dink-and-dunk passer’s shirt – and talked about the transition he’s trying make from his first to second NFL season.
“I want to be back close to home in the offseason and just figure out ways to become a better quarterback,” Jones told Patriots.com, in mid-season media form. “And then do whatever we can to put more points up on the board so we can win more games.”
On boring brand while promoting a brand. Impressive.
Kinda.
When Jones is back in New England, he’s apparently back to being a rookie under the control of the Patriots. Or, just back to being the guy who’ll do his best to avoid the media and keep his personality and personable side under tight wraps.
Making a brief appearance at the “Saving by Shaving” fundraiser on Tuesday for Boston Children’s Hospital, Jones didn’t get his head shaved alongside the likes of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker or his own Patriots center, David Andrews. He also didn’t care to take the time to speak with the gathered media, as is generally the case with celebrities in attendance at such events to help bring increased attention to the cause, something veteran teammate Kyle Van Noy was more than willing and happy to do.
Nope, back in New England and away from the apparent freedoms of the Pro Bowl in Las Vegas or the paid-for tour around radio row at the Super Bowl, Jones is apparently back to his seen-and-not heard rookie status.
Does Jones have to be more outgoing and media-friendly to become a true franchise QB?
Maybe not.
Does he have to have a Burrow-esque personality to take his game to the next level, as so many pom-pon shaking Patriots supporters are predicting?
Certainly not.
But it is fair to wonder when Jones will start being comfortable enough in New England, comfortable enough as the Patriots quarterback and comfortable enough in his own professional skin to start letting his true self shine.
“I think back to like my freshman year of Alabama, you are kind of figuring everything out and then you get older and you’re just more experienced with everything, the media, the games, everything,” Jones told Patriots.com. “I think that’s the fun part about everything in the offseason is you get a second just to catch your breath and figure everything out. This has definitely been the longest year, it’s been almost two years of football. And I love football and I love to keep going as best I can but it’s always good to step away and evaluate what you can get better at too.”
Maybe, just maybe, that will include Jones’ public persona. Because as we saw throughout the week at the Pro Bowl, Jones probably isn’t always the media stiff-arming, no-fun, serious-to-a-fault guy that he at least pretends to be when he’s inside the fictitious borders of Patriot Nation.
Someday maybe Jones will actually bring his Pro Bowl personality to New England.
Because for now, heading toward his sophomore season he still seems like a scared rookie under Belichick’s thumb, which may be just how his coach wants it but it’s not all that fun for the rest of us.
