The three letters of ‘NFL’ traditionally stand for ‘National Football League,’ but the acronym also serves as a harrowing reminder: ‘not for long.’ The average length of an NFL player’s career is just 3.3 years, and while signing multi-million dollar contracts is a flashy business, once those checks dry up, players can be in a tough position.
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones might be in the process of learning that fact the hard way as questions swirl surrounding his future in Massachusetts. The third-year signal-caller has thrown for as many interceptions as touchdowns — ten — in ten games this season and got benched after an ugly fourth-quarter interception in the Patriots’ game in Frankfurt, Germany, earlier this month.
The Patriots have a hideous 2-8 record to this point in the season. If even legendary head coach Bill Belichick seems like he might be on the hot seat, one can be sure that nobody’s job is safe in Foxborough, especially not Jones, who has become a focal point of the team’s struggles.
Right now, the team has less than a one percent chance of making the playoffs: Massachusetts Sports Betting Promos list them at or around +150000 to win the Super Bowl this year, tied for the longest odds in the league.
The Patriot Way: Keeping Things In-House
New England had their bye week after returning from Europe, and the gap in the action meant there was plenty of time to discuss Jones’ future with the team.
In true Belichick-ian standards, the legendary head coach categorically avoided answering any questions by the media about the quarterback controversy brewing in Foxborough, deflecting the focus to the entire team’s need to improve.
After the Frankfurt game, Jones avoided answering whether he still held the starting role. Instead, he said the team was busy watching films and focusing on their bye week. He didn’t deflect all the questions that media members asked him, though, giving fans and journalists a fascinating window into what players deal with when it seems nothing is going right.
To his credit, even if he wouldn’t delve into the specifics of who will start the next game for the Patriots, Jones was very candid in discussing his career outlook. It’s no easy task to struggle at your job in front of millions of people each week, but Jones didn’t mince words in discussing what he needs to do moving forward.
Mac Jones Gets Candid
“Just focusing on things I can control,” Jones said when asked how he wanted to improve his game moving forward. “I’ve always done that. I really need to improve, obviously, and that’s what I’m going to focus on.”
He also acknowledged the emotions he and the rest of his teammates were going through as the disappointing season continued.
“I think everyone’s frustrated,” Jones said. “And obviously I am, too. And there are a lot of things that I wish I could do better… I’ve kind of identified those things. And that’s where it all starts.”
Most athletes seem to overflow with confidence, even as their season crashes down around them: body language is important, as is the belief that one can still find a way to win no matter what the odds against them are.
As such, it was interesting to hear Jones talk about how his confidence has wavered due to his career struggles.
“I think my confidence comes from my discipline and all the things I’ve done throughout the years just to gain that,” Jones said. “And of course, at times, as an athlete, that will be challenged. But at the end of the day, I need to have confidence in myself.”
Patriots’ Future Quarterback: The Final Word
Despite how bad things look right now, one thing that works in Jones’ favor is that he might still be the Patriots’ best option, no matter how poorly he plays. Second-string quarterback Bailey Zappe has appeared in seven regular-season games since the team picked him in the fourth draft round last season, throwing five touchdowns and four interceptions in those games.
Third-string option Will Grier has bounced around to various teams during his five years in the league, never getting much chance to start… perhaps for a good reason.
If I were the Patriots, I’d give Jones at least the rest of this season to prove he belongs in the NFL. Again, that’s not a compliment to his performance: simply stating that the team has no better option right now. If Jones isn’t the quarterback of the future, said quarterback is not on the team’s roster right now.
