Heading into the 2021 season, head coach Bill Belichick shocked many around the NFL when he elected to go with rookie quarterback Mac Jones as the team’s starter over veteran Cam Newton.
Over the next 17 games, the 23-year-old kid out of Jacksonville helped lead the Patriots to a ten-win season and a return to the playoffs after a one-year absence, fulfilling the confidence and trust his coach put in him to begin the year.
By the conclusion of the regular season, Jones recorded 22 touchdown passes (eighth all-time by a rookie QB and a Patriots franchise record), 3,801 passing yards (fifth all-time by a rookie), and finished with a 67.6 completion percentage (second all-time by a rookie) to outperform the entire 2021 quarterback rookie class. For his efforts, Jones was named one of the six nominees for the NFL’s Rookie of the Year Award.
Following Satuday’s loss in Buffalo, teammate Matthew Slater high praise for Jones’ work this season.
“I know my kids and I will be watching him for a long time to come,” Slater said. “I’m excited about where this organization is going to be in the future with him; it’s certainly been an honor for me to play alongside him and see him grow over the course of the year. Patriots Nation, they should be excited about having No. 10 as a quarterback.”
On Tuesday, Jones returned to social media for the first time since August with a post to Instagram featuring a series of photos from the season alongside the following message;
“What an unbelievable ride this first year has been. There’s no other group of guys I’d rather work with, grow with and compete with.
Cannot wait to play in front of the greatest fans in the world again! #GoPats #JustGettingStarted”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY4jLRBLuam/
Mac Jones on IG: “What an unbelievable ride this first year has been.”
With comments from a bunch of Patriots teammates. pic.twitter.com/ZNOBwjWgZ6
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) January 18, 2022
The QB has a lot of support in that building at One Patriot Place. pic.twitter.com/bFPk70jiWs
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) January 18, 2022
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