Josh McDaniels won’t be coaching Mac Jones anymore. But the Las Vegas Raiders head coach thinks his former pupil will be just fine.
McDaniels addressed the young quarterback’s future Wednesday during his press conference at the NFL Combine.
“I'm not sure I've been around a more mature, young football player in terms of understanding the game and being able to process at such a speed and such a level that Mac was,” McDaniels said, per Mike Reiss. “I don't have any doubt that Mac is going to meet the challenge head on.”
Jones enjoyed a strong rookie season, completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He struggled at the end, however, posting a pedestrian quarterback rating of 79.8 over his last five regular season starts.
Bill Belichick still hasn’t named an offensive coordinator to replace McDaniels, who took three Patriots assistants — receivers coach Mick Lombardi, quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree, offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo — with him to Vegas.
For what it’s worth, McDaniels says there are no hard feelings between him and Belichick. “I have great respect for Bill and that process. I spoke to him directly multiple times about any interest I had in people that were there,” he said.
The Patriots were the only team to not have a representative speak with the press at the Combine.
