Time to stop comparing Patriots’ Mac Jones to Tom Brady

Through 15 games, it seems safe to say that New England Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones‘s season has been a success.

During that span, the first round draft pick out of Alabama has completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,313 yards and 18 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions. Despite some inevitable ups and downs, Jones is having one of the better seasons by a rookie QB in recent memory.

Despite this, however, many Patriots fans refuse to stop for a second and appreciate what Jones is doing. Instead, they are adamant on comparing him to the absolute gold standard of quarterback play: former Patriots signal-caller and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.

New England Patriots QB Mac Jones can only be Mac Jones

Whenever Jones has a good game, they immediately draw comparisons to Brady’s first season as the Patriots’ starting quarterback in 2001, when he lead New England to the franchise’s first Super Bowl title.

And whenever Jones has a bad game—i.e. last week against the Buffalo Bills—they feel the need to make comments along the lines of “Tom Brady would have won that game,” or “Tom Brady wouldn’t have made that mistake.”

Not only are these comparisons absolutely ridiculous, but they are also completely unfair to Jones.

Think about it for a second. We are talking about a 23 year-old rookie quarterback here. Right now, he is simply trying to make a name for himself in the NFL and help his team win some games. (Which, to this point, he has done, as Jones’s nine wins as a starter are by far the most of any rookie quarterback.) He’s not thinking at all about his legacy, or how he stacks up against other Patriots/NFL quarterbacks.

So doesn’t it seem completely unfair, then, to compare him to the greatest quarterback of all time?

Here’s some advice to Patriots fans: just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride with Jones. Are there going to be some struggles along the way? Absolutely. But through the first fifteen games of his rookie season, Jones has done more than enough to show that the Patriots have a bright future with him under center.

If you really want to compare Jones to someone, then look at how he matches up with his fellow rookie QBs, such as Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson. Or other young quarterbacks whom have shown that they potentially have bright futures in the league, such as Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa.

But please, please, please, stop comparing him to Tom Brady.

It’s annoying, counterproductive, and frankly, just stupid.