Mac Jones

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Mac Jones
refer to caption
Jones with the Patriots in 2021
No. 10 – New England Patriots
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1998-09-05) September 5, 1998 (age 23)
Jacksonville, Florida
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:214 lb (97 kg)
Career information
High school:The Bolles School (Jacksonville)
College:Alabama (2017–2020)
NFL Draft:2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2021
Passing attempts:521
Passing completions:352
Completion percentage:67.6
TDINT:22–13
Passing yards:3,801
Passer rating:92.5
Rushing yards:129
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Michael McCorkle "Mac" Jones[1] (born September 5, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he set the NCAA season records for passer rating and completion percentage as a junior en route to winning the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship. Selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Jones led the team to a playoff berth during his rookie season and earned Pro Bowl honors.

Early life and high school[edit]

Michael McCorkle Jones was born on September 5, 1998, to Gordon and Holly Jones in Jacksonville, Florida.[2] His father played tennis at Florida State University and Flagler College.[3] Mac's brother, Will, played soccer at Mercer University,[4] while his sister Sarah Jane played tennis for the College of Charleston.[5] He worked as a child model and actor, making appearances in commercials.[6]

Jones played high school football at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, under head coach Corky Rogers.[7][8][9] During his junior year in 2015, Jones led Bolles to the state regional final. As a senior in 2016, Jones led Bolles to the Florida 4A title, throwing for 1,532 yards and 29 touchdowns.[10]

College career[edit]

2017[edit]

After originally committing to the University of Kentucky, Jones accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Alabama.[11][12] Jones arrived as an early enrollee, but was redshirted his freshman season in 2017.[13] Jones was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) and was suspended for the following game against LSU.[14][15][16][17] After throwing for 289 yards and two touchdowns in the Crimson Tide's spring game, Jones was named A-Day MVP.[18]

2018[edit]

In the 2018 season, Jones appeared in 14 of the Crimson Tide's 15 games, mostly as a holder on special teams. Jones added his name to the Alabama record book with a 94-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle, the second-longest in school history, in a win against Louisiana.[19][20][21][22][23]

2019[edit]

Jones served as the starting quarterback near the end of the 2019 season after Tua Tagovailoa suffered a severe hip injury.[24][25] He made four starts for the Crimson Tide, beating Arkansas and Western Carolina before falling to Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Jones threw for 335 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in the 45–48 defeat.[26] Following the Iron Bowl, Jones led Alabama to a 35–16 win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl.[27] Jones finished the 2019 season with 1,503 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions in 11 games and four starts.[28]

During his sophomore year, Jones earned a bachelor's degree in communication studies with a 4.00 GPA.[29] After the commencement ceremony, Jones announced he would return to Alabama as a graduate student.[30]

2020[edit]

With Tagovailoa departing for the 2020 NFL Draft, Jones took over as the starting quarterback for Alabama.[31] In a game against the #3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs, Jones threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns, helping Alabama win 41–24.[32] On Halloween night, Jones and the Crimson Tide shut out Mississippi State 41–0. Jones threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns, all of which went to DeVonta Smith.[33] In the Iron Bowl against Auburn, Jones threw for 302 yards and five touchdowns.[34] The following week, Jones threw for 385 yards and four touchdowns against LSU.[35] With the win, the Crimson Tide clinched a berth in the 2020 SEC Championship Game against Florida. There, Jones threw for 418 yards and five touchdowns, with Alabama winning 52–46.[36] Alabama went 11–0 in a schedule featuring only in-conference opponents due to the COVID–19 pandemic.[37]

Playoffs[edit]

Alabama was selected to take on Notre Dame in the 2021 Rose Bowl semifinal game, where Jones threw four touchdown passes on route to a 31–14 win.[38] Alabama would go on to win the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes 52–24, with Jones throwing for 464 yards and five touchdowns.[39] Jones finished the season throwing for 4,500 yards with 41 touchdowns and four interceptions.[40] His 203.1 passer rating and 77.4 completion percentage were both NCAA season records.[41] He was named the recipient of the Davey O'Brien, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm, and Manning Awards.[42][43] Jones finished third for the Heisman Trophy, which went to his teammate Smith.[44] Having earned his master's degree in sports hospitality with a 4.00 GPA, Jones also received Academic All-American of the Year honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America in both Division I football and all Division I sports for the 2020–21 school year.[45][46] Following the season, Jones announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the 2021 NFL Draft.[47]

College statistics[edit]

Legend
NCAA record
Led the NCAA
Bold Career high
Season Games Passing Rushing
GP GS Cmp Att Pct Yds Avg TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
2018 6 0 5 13 38.5 123 9.5 1 0 143.3 3 −8 −2.7 0
2019 11 4 97 141 68.8 1,503 10.7 14 3 186.8 16 36 2.3 1
2020 13 13 311 402 77.4 4,500 11.2 41 4 203.1 35 14 0.4 1
Career 30 17 413 556 74.3 6,126 11.0 56 7 197.6 54 42 0.8 2

Professional career[edit]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 2+58 in
(1.90 m)
217 lb
(98 kg)
32+58 in
(0.83 m)
9+34 in
(0.25 m)
4.82 s 1.70 s 2.76 s 4.39 s 7.04 s 32 in
(0.81 m)
9 ft 8 in
(2.95 m)
All values from Alabama's Pro Day[48][49][50]

One of the top quarterback prospects of the 2021 NFL Draft, Jones was projected to be taken in the first round. Although many analysts predicted he would be selected third overall by the San Francisco 49ers, Jones was selected 15th overall by the New England Patriots after the 49ers drafted North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance.[51][52][53][54] He was the last of five quarterbacks and the fourth of six Alabama players taken in the first round. Jones was also the first quarterback drafted in the first round by the Patriots since Drew Bledsoe in 1993.[55] He signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $15.6 million fully guaranteed, on July 6, 2021.[56]

2021[edit]

Jones with the Patriots in 2021

Following the preseason, Jones was named the Patriots' starter for 2021. Jones beat out incumbent starting quarterback Cam Newton, who was released during the final roster cuts.[57] He became New England's first rookie quarterback to start a season opener since Bledsoe in 1993.[58]

In his NFL debut, Jones completed 29 of 39 passes for 281 yards and made his first touchdown pass to wide receiver Nelson Agholor in a 16–17 loss against the Miami Dolphins. He also set the NFL completion percentage record for a debuting rookie at 74.4.[59] His first win came the following week over the New York Jets and he became the first rookie quarterback to convert over 70 percent of 60 passes in his first two starts by obtaining a 73.3 completion rate.[60][61] Jones struggled during a Week 3 loss to the New Orleans Saints, in which he had three interceptions, including his first to safety P. J. Williams.[62] The following week, Jones made his Sunday Night Football debut against the defending Super Bowl LV champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Although the Patriots lost 17–19, Jones had 19 consecutive completions, the most for an NFL rookie since 1991 and tying the franchise record set by Brady in 2015.[63] Jones had his first fourth quarter comeback and game-winning drive during Week 5 against the Houston Texans when he helped the Patriots rally from a 9–22 deficit to win 25–22.[64] Two weeks later, Jones won his first home game during a 54–13 rout of the Jets, throwing for 307 yards and two touchdowns before backup Brian Hoyer relieved him in the final minutes.[65]

The Week 7 victory began a seven-game winning streak for the Patriots, with Jones completing 69.4 percent of his passes for 1,397 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions. Jones also became the first NFL rookie quarterback to have a completion percentage over 80 in consecutive games, which he obtained in victories over the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons.[66] Amid the streak, he was named Offensive Rookie of the Month for November.[67] In the seventh consecutive victory, he attempted only three passes against the Buffalo Bills due to heavy wind conditions, the second-fewest by a winning team since the Bills in 1974.[68] New England's winning streak ended with consecutive losses against the Indianapolis Colts and Bills, which saw Jones record two interceptions in each game.[69][70] After a Week 17 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jones became the first Patriots quarterback other than Brady to clinch a postseason berth since 1998. He also threw his 20th touchdown pass, breaking Jim Plunkett's franchise rookie record from 1971.[71]

Jones finished the season with 3,801 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and a 67.6 completion percentage, which were the highest among rookie quarterbacks in 2021.[72] Additionally, he was the only rookie quarterback to lead a team to a winning record and playoff appearance.[73] Jones became the first Patriots rookie quarterback to start a playoff game with his wild card appearance against the Bills, throwing for 232 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in the 17–47 loss.[74]

For his performance in his first season, Jones was named to the 2021 PFWA All-Rookie Team and finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Ja'Marr Chase.[75][76] He was also selected as an alternate to the 2022 Pro Bowl, making him the fourth Patriots rookie and the franchise's first rookie quarterback to receive Pro Bowl honors.[77]

NFL career statistics[edit]

Regular season[edit]

Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Avg TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2021 NE 17 17 10–7 352 521 67.6 3,801 7.3 22 13 92.5 44 129 2.9 0 28 241 7 3
Career 17 17 10–7 352 521 67.6 3,801 7.3 22 13 92.5 44 129 2.9 0 28 241 7 3

Postseason[edit]

Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Avg TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2021 NE 1 1 0–1 24 38 63.2 232 6.1 2 2 75.8 2 18 9.0 0 3 16 0 0
Career 1 1 0–1 24 38 63.2 232 6.1 2 2 75.8 2 18 9.0 0 3 16 0 0

Personal life[edit]

Since 2019, Jones has been in a relationship with Sophie Scott, whom he met at the University of Alabama. The two reside together in Massachusetts.[78]

In August 2021, Jones signed an endorsement deal with Nobull, a Boston-based company that makes athletic shoes and apparel.[79]

References[edit]

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External links[edit]