A former New England Patriots great is throwing his support behind Mac Jones. Three-time Super Bowl champion James White believes that Jones will get one last chance to make an impact for the Patriots.
It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Jones to this point in his career. At first glance, his statistics look decent. He has thrown for 8,918 yards, 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions in his three seasons with New England.
However, Jones regressed last year. He was benched for quarterback Bailey Zappe, following the November 26 game against the New York Giants, and never regained his starting spot for the rest of the season
There has been doubt cast on his future with the organization. The Patriots hold the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, which could give them the opportunity to select either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels at quarterback.
However, White believes there is a future for Jones in New England as he told Karen Guregian on the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast earlier this week, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Greg Dudek.
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Everybody’s saying, ‘Trade and release,’ and all that stuff. Maybe a change of scenery is possibly what he wants, which could be good for him. But I’ve been saying all along I can very well see him being on the roster,” White said. “He can be a guy competing for a starting job, whether he actually wins out or not, whether they draft a rookie, whether they bring in a veteran guy. He’s had success in this league the last two years.
“It hasn’t gone his way, but if you bring in the right offensive coordinator, you allow him to compete with somebody else, who knows what may shake out next season?”
There’s a glaring need at quarterback on the Patriots’ roster, due to the inconsistencies at the position over the past couple of seasons. Jones competing for a starting job in 2024 could be in the cards as the Patriots turn the page with newly-hired head coach Jerod Mayo.
