Like his predecessor in New England, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones plays with a strong competitive spirit. Apparently that spirit has already made him some enemies.
Atlanta Falcons veteran defensive end Calais Campbell was asked Tuesday which NFL quarterbacks are active trash talkers and unsurprisingly mentioned Philip Rivers, the former Los Angeles Chargers signal-caller who had a fiery on-field demeanor.
Campbell clarified that Rivers was "never disrespectful" -- and then took a surprise shot at Jones.
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"Mac Jones actually, he was kind of disrespectful," Campbell said, via The Athletic's Josh Kendall. "I'm like, 'Hold on, man.'"
Campbell recorded a QB hit on Jones last season when his Baltimore Ravens faced the Patriots in Week 3, and while Campbell claimed he didn't remember what Jones said to him specifically, he remembers thinking the young quarterback crossed the line.
"[It was] just trash talk to the highest level," Campbell added. "It was like, 'You don't trash talk me.'"
Campbell isn't the only enemy Jones has made through two NFL seasons; Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns called out Jones in 2021 for a "dirty" play in which Jones appeared to grab and twist Burns' ankle following an interception. Burns later told fellow defenders "happy hunting" on the then-rookie QB, while several other NFL players joined him in criticizing Jones.
Patriots fans should like that Jones plays with an edge, as that competitive fire certainly benefited Tom Brady during his two decades at quarterback in New England. The flip side is that Jones appears to be a target for several defensive players, so he may need to keep his head on a swivel this season while getting more support from his offensive line, which allowed Jones to be sacked 34 times in 14 games last season.