Mac Jones helped take a New England Patriots team that missed the playoffs a year prior back into the postseason, earning a Pro Bowl nod along the way as a rookie.
Is Bill Belichick's legacy secure?
Somehow, he is the least-talked about quarterback in his division entering this season.
That’s just how the Patriots want it.
Jones’ rookie year had some expected bumps, but he impressed with how polished he was at a young age. That composure has, in some cases, been conflated with thinking that he’s about as good as he’ll ever be. There might be some truth that his ceiling isn’t as high as someone like Trevor Lawrence, but the growth potential is there.
Appearing on the “Bill Simmons Podcast”, NFL Media insider Peter Schrager indicated that the Patriots apparently love that Simmons is being pushed aside.
"From everything I hear from up there, they are very excited that you hear things like 40-to-1 (odds to win MVP)," Schrager said (1:02:03 in player above). "Or that we’re doing segments on Good Morning Football 'who’s going to have the breakout second-year season' and we’re doing flips about Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson and somehow Mac Jones -- a Pro Bowler in Year 1, now having mastered the playbook and now having mastered the locker room and being that guy and being in better physical shape -- hasn’t been mentioned. I feel very good about Mac Jones in Year 2, that Year 1 wasn’t a fluke. And No. 2, the ceiling. I feel like he can be even better."
The Patriots, of all teams, playing the underdog card probably rings hollow for most fanbases. Still, the Patriots have been a somewhat forgotten team this offseason after getting waxed by the Bills in the playoffs, only to see the Dolphins swing blockbuster trades and Jets get high marks for their work in free agency and the draft.
Ultimately, it shouldn't be that surprising that Jones hasn't been the center of attention. This has been arguably the craziest offseason the quarterback market has ever seen, so a potential jump for Jones understandably got pushed down the list of talking points.
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