Mac Jones’s preseason debut with the Jaguars wasn’t amazing, but it was better than most of his games in his final season with the Patriots.
The fourth-year quarterback completed 9 of 11 passes for 98 yards in the Jaguars’ 26-13 win over the Chiefs on Saturday. He was the third quarterback to enter the game for Jacksonville, playing the entire second half. While Jones didn’t lead the Jaguars to a touchdown, he had two scoring drives in the three possessions he played, excluding the end-of-game kneeldowns.
With one preseason game in the books, Jones has seemed to make a positive impression so far with his new team in Jacksonville. But Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said he can be a bit annoyed by Jones from time to time.
“He’s going to have a fun time no matter what,” Pederson told reporters of Jones. “I think that’s just his personality. He’s great in the locker room, great with the guys. Sometimes he drives us crazy with some of the stuff he does or says.
“But it’s good. I think it’s really good because when he gets in there, it’s business, and he’s a competitor and he loves to compete.”
Jones seemed to carry a similar persona during his time in New England, or at least during his first couple of seasons with the Patriots. He joked around with Bill Belichick on the sideline during the closing moments of a blowout win in his rookie year, for instance. Off the field, he said he recorded a rap during his time with the Patriots, laughing about it in a video this offseason.
Jones recently told the Florida-Times Union that he’s still looking to keep that demeanor in his new home.
“Just being Mac and being my own guy,” Jones said. “Being the quarterback that everyone wants to play with. I like to have fun, like to talk a little smack and I don’t want to feel bad doing that. It’s just my personality, and I think everyone here is embracing it.
“Just really trying to find what works for me and my process. Being back home is really nice, and we got a great weight room, obviously a great coaching staff, great players. Really just trying to fit in where I get in, and I really enjoy the guys on this team. I feel like it’s definitely a different vibe than what I’m used to, and it’s a good vibe out there, so, hopefully, we can just keep that going.”
Last season didn’t give Jones many opportunities to laugh. He threw for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions over 11 games. He was benched in four of those contests before losing the starting job to Bailey Zappe in Week 13.
Even though the Patriots got rid of Belichick, they traded Jones to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick in March. As Jones enters the final year of his rookie contract, he might now be battling for a spot in the NFL.
But Jones also seems to know his role with Jacksonville as well, telling reporters about a moment where he served as a bit of a mentor in Saturday’s game.
“We had a little bit of a miscommunication on a blitz pickup,” Jones said as he described why his first drive ended in a punt. “We talked about it on the sideline. The running backs and linemen did a good job correcting it and me correcting it. It’s all about communication when you’re in there with some younger guys who haven’t played as much. I’m lucky that I’ve played a lot of football so far, four years.”
