With 34 seconds left in the first half against the New York Giants, the New England Patriots had the football first-and-10 at their 9-yard line on Nov. 26. Quarterback Mac Jones handed off to running back Ezekiel Elliott for no gain, and the half ended.
It was the last snap that Jones would take for the Patriots. Replaced by Bailey Zappe for the second half, the former Alabama All-American ended his third season as New England’s starting QB on the bench for the final six games.
Traded to Jacksonville in the offseason, Jones will make his return to the field on Saturday, when the Jaguars kick off their preseason schedule against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“My rookie year, I played a lot in the preseason,” Jones told WJXL-AM on Wednesday. “I wanted to play the last two years in the preseason, but I didn’t get a chance to play as much. That’s kind of something where: ‘Hey, I want to get in there and get the reps. I don’t really care who it’s with.’ … For me, it’s about trying to move the offense, staying calm, letting things come to me.”
“Just being Mac and being my own guy,” Jones told the Florida-Times Union. “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.”
Pderson said on Monday that sometimes Jones’ vibe doesn’t always jibe with his, but the quarterback’s teammates like it.
“He’s going to have a fun time no matter what,” Pederson said. “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.”
Asked for an example of what about Jones drives him crazy sometimes, Pederson said: “Just some of the things he says out there. I can’t really repeat them all. It’s pretty interesting.”
During a press conference last week, Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor agreed he had an “annoying-little-brother relationship” with Jones.
“That’s a good way to describe it,” Taylor said. “What I love about Mac is that Mac loves football. He loves playing football, he loves talking football, which I think I’m very similar in that way, so we have a good rapport in that sense. Mac’s always having a good time, always talking. We talked about that before, so I’ve got no problem talking. We like to chirp back and forth every once in a while. It’s fun being in his headset, being able to talk to him and kind of rib him a little bit that you may not see or hear, and he gives it right back. I think we just have a good time competing and talking football.”
