Aside from a couple social media posts showing off his offseason workouts, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has pretty much gone dark this offseason. No. 10 is at least out of sight, if not out of media and fan mind.
And that’s probably a smart thing for Jones and his supporters, because the reality of this time of year driven by the NFL Scouting Combine and massive contracts for contemporary quarterbacks is that New England’s third-year starter just doesn’t measure up right now.
These days QB evaluations are built essentially on one of two things – resumes or measurables. And if you’re being honest, Jones doesn’t have either in his corner as he works to “re-earn the respect” of all the football world.
Talk from the top of the upcoming NFL Draft is about flavor-of-the-moment guys like Alabama’s Heisman-winner Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.
It’s all about Kentucky’s Will Levis and his self-described “cannon,” a gun show he displayed for all our wide eyes in both action and bulging appearance in Indy.
Of course you have Florida rising phenom Anthony Richardson who may not have been a very successful, polished player in college but brings historic athleticism to the testing process. RAS!
Then there’s the current NFL contract and trade market that’s heating up now that Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson has received the Ravens’ franchise tag and New York’s own rejuvenated passer Daniel Jones got his $160 million deal coming off a career year under Brian Daboll’s QB Midas Touch tutelage.
Derek Carr, who was benched late last season by Mac Jones-loving Raiders coach Josh McDaniels landed on his lucrative feet in New Orleans with a fresh $120 million contract to his name.
And lest we not forget that Aaron Rodgers has done anything but go dark this offseason despite going on a dark cave retreat, the aging future Hall of Famer and multi-time MVP now reportedly talking to the Jets about a football future in New York rather than Green Bay. Where have I heard that story before?
Heck, NFL Network even did its best to rekindle speculation that GOAT Tom Brady may not be retired for good after all and that he might just join Rodgers by jumping into the AFC East fray in Miami at some point.
It’s the crazy offseason time of QB ratings and, mostly, overratings.
It’s about would-be big trades and even bigger contracts. It’s about big arms and unreachable upsides that come with big ol’ bust potential.
And, yet, none of that is relevant to the current Patriots or their current quarterback.
Mac Jones will never have the raw athleticism of guys like the veteran former MVP Jackson or flavor of the month Richardson, who teams may convince themselves is the next Josh Allen rather than a would-be Trey Lance.
Right now he doesn’t have the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately boost of his former teammate and possible No.
1 overall pick Young or his surname-sharing counterpart in New York. He can’t ride an unbelievable (I really still can’t believe it) breakout year like Geno Smith, one that earned the journeyman veteran his own massive-money deal in Seattle.
Jones will certainly never carry the cache of a Rodgers or Brady.
Jones often talks about being where his feet are. Living in the moment. And at this moment it’s pretty obvious he’s approaching the fork in the road of his NFL career. He’s no longer the next big thing or the hot topic. He’s on the outside looking in on the hectic offseason world of the QB conversation. Based on the evidence of the here and now, that’s where he belongs. But that status is not permanent.
After the year he had under the mismanagement of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, Jones can’t point to his resume as the reason to believe in him the way he could coming out of Alabama or following his first NFL season in which he led the Patriots to the playoffs with a Pro Bowl-worthy performance.
He’s never been able to point to a rocket right arm or fast moving feet.
Hell, Jones doesn’t even have the words of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to use as promotional support. Belichick saying simply in January that his current QB has “the ability to play quarterback” in the NFL.
Not exactly words to print on a T-shirt!
There simply isn’t a lot to say about Mac Jones right now, certainly not much that would be considered definitive praise. At a time when measurables, stats and resumes are all that matter, the spring reality is that Jones just doesn’t measure up in that area.
There is nothing that he can say or do right now to change that. The time for that will come and will come through on-field actions.
Will Jones measure up come fall under the direction of new Patriots’ offensive coordinator and QB coach Bill O’Brien? Will Mac join Daniel as the next QB Jones reclamation project?
That’s all to be determine this fall.
For now, it probably is best for Mac Jones to remain out of sight and out of mind.