Mac Jones and Tom Brady will be forever linked as the original and the de facto successor gone wrong. Fans will remember the Cam Newton season that pre-empted Jones’ arrival, but the former Crimson Tide standout, picked in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, was looked at as the future of Bill Belichick’s team. Of course, things went awry after a hot start in his first year, ultimately costing the Patriots their head coach.
Years later, Jones has had time to process what happened during his first NFL pit stop. Jones spoke about the pressure of stepping into the shoes of Brady during a Wednesday interview on “Bussin’ with the Boys.”
“There was that, like, ‘Playoffs isn’t good enough,’ ‘We need to go to the next step,’ so I’m like, ‘All right, let’s build this year two,’ and that’s kind of when it just went crazy downhill. But yeah, replacing Tom was definitely a narrative, and I tried not to pay attention to it,” Jones said.
“I tried to just play my game, and I’m not Tom Brady. I never will be. He’s like the best player to ever play, so it’s tough. You’re always going to have that expectation of what it looks like.”
Jones went 10-7 in his first season with the Patriots and threw 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He went 6-8 in 2022 and threw 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He then went 2-9 in 2023 and threw 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Mac Jones Takes Step Toward Rebuilding Image in NFC West
Starting in his final season with the Patriots, the quarterback’s reputation took a nose dive in terms of respect for his talents. It didn’t go much better in Jacksonville in 2024 when he threw for eight touchdowns, eight interceptions, and went 2-5.
However, last season, fans saw a spark, with Jones posting a 5-3 record and a career-best 69.6 completion percentage with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. It was his best run in nearly half a decade, leaving him plenty of hope going into 2026.
Of course, with Brock Purdy still set to lead the team, Jones may have a ceiling with the 49ers. However, with enough goodwill, Jones could make a case to get back to starting status in the future.
Jones has had the setback; will he have a comeback?
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