Former New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones took to social media on Wednesday to thank the team and its fans for supporting him during his three-year tenure in Foxboro. Jones was traded this past week to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round draft pick.
"The last three seasons with the New England Patriots are years I will cherish for the rest of my life," Jones wrote on a graphic posted to X. "I will always be grateful for my time in New England and for the opportunity to start my career in the NFL."
The Patriots selected Jones out of Alabama with the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Jacksonville native beat out Cam Newton for the starting job his rookie season and earned a Pro Bowl nod, throwing for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns.
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"To Mr. Kraft and the Kraft family, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to make my dream of playing in the NFL come true," Jones added. "To coach Belichick and all the coaches and support staff who helped me each and every day, including training, equipment, strength, video staff, and everyone in between, thank you for all you did to help prepare me over the years. I truly appreciate each and every one of you."
It was all downhill for the first-round pick after his encouraging rookie year. While his supporting cast may not have been the best, Jones seemed to lose his confidence last season, throwing for just 2,997 yards and 14 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.
"To my teammates, it was an honor to play alongside you these last three years and I will always cherish the friendships we built," Jones continued on. "And finally, thank you to the fans for always showing up and supporting me and the Patriots. It has been a blessing to be a part of the Patriots organization and I will always have love for the New England community."
Jones' performance in his final season with the Patriots was ultimately the final nail in the coffin for his career in New England. After a 2-9 start, he was benched in favor of Bailey Zappe. Jones' tenure with the Patriots will long be debated over whether his struggles were solely his fault or the result of a lack of support.
"With that being said, I am thrilled to go home and get to work in Duval," Jones concluded. "Thank you to the Jacksonville Jaguars organization for the opportunity. Let's go!"
Jones will likely fall behind fellow 2016 draft pick Trevor Lawrence on the Jaguars depth chart. If Lawrence suffers an injury, Jones will have the opportunity to once again take the field and showcase what he can do as a QB in the NFL.
