Why Mac Jones is not the long-term answer for Patriots
New England Patriots’ quarterback Mac Jones has had an up and down two years in the NFL. Unfortunately, he is not the long-term answer for the team. I think one of the reasons why Mac Jones seemed to be so coveted and lumped in with the top quarterbacks in the 2021 class was the non-physical part of his game.
He’s got typical size for a franchise quarterback. His arm is serviceable. He can move in the pocket if he needs to but that is not a huge part of his game like other quarterbacks. He has the makings of a high floor – low ceiling quarterback.
Unfortunately, in the modern-day NFL, that is not what teams are and should be looking for. If I told you that Mac Jones was in the same tier of quarterbacks as guys like Derek Carr, Ryan Tannehill, and Kirk Cousins, would you agree?
Because I personally do not see how he’s any better than players like that. To me, he’s as average as they come, and average is not good enough in the NFL. Unfortunately for many teams, there are, maybe, five to seven elite quarterbacks in the NFL.
Then, you have a bunch of lesser but more average players like Carr, Tannehill, and Cousins.
Well, the big issue with those players is what has happened to them, what already happened to them, and what will happen to them.
Derek Carr, after nine decent seasons as a Raider, looks to be a lock to be traded this offseason.
Kirk Cousins was not extended by the Washington Redskins after playing on the franchise tag. They let him sign with the Minnesota Vikings, and the Vikings are likely not keeping him for much longer.
Ryan Tannehill was unceremoniously dumped from the Miami Dolphins, landed with the Tennessee Titans, played very well for about a year and a half, and now looks to be on the outs in Tennessee.
Look, you can win games with Mac Jones just like you can with the formerly mentioned other quarterbacks, but that’s about it. He is not a long-term answer unless you plan on accepting being average for years.
For the Patriots, they need to work out a plan to move off of Mac Jones and onto someone who has a much higher ceiling.