Pro Bowl quarterback Mac Jones has a nice ring to it.
To be clear, the New England Patriots rookie didn't make the 2022 Pro Bowl roster. Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are the three QBs on the AFC squad, while the Patriots only had three Pro Bowl selections on their roster.
Perry: Joe Burrow's trajectory offers hope of what Jones can become
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
But with Jackson recovering from an ankle injury and Mahomes playing in the AFC Championship game, the AFC needs bodies to play in the actual Pro Bowl in Las Vegas on Feb. 6. And after Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen respectfully declined an offer to play, it's possible Jones could get a call, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.
It's unclear how far down Jones is on the list of AFC Pro Bowl alternates; Joe Burrow reportedly is the second alternate behind Allen, but he'd be ruled out if his Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game.
If Jones somehow gets the nod, it would be a pretty cool opportunity for the 23-year-old and a nice reward for a solid rookie season.
New England Patriots
Jones finished eighth in the NFL with a 67.6% completion rate (just ahead of Tom Brady at 67.5%) and threw for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. He was by far the most productive QB in the 2021 NFL Draft class and became just the 13th QB in NFL history to lead his team to the postseason as a rookie.
While the Pro Bowl generally lacks real competition, it would be intriguing to see Jones throw passes to stud wide receivers like Stefon Diggs and Keenan Allen, and it couldn't hurt to spend time with some of the NFL's best players.
We should have a better idea of whether Jones is heading to Vegas after Sunday's AFC Championship Game, so as Reiss notes, "stay tuned."