New England Patriots fans can't help but continue to be fascinated by the journey of former starting quarterback Mac Jones. A large part of this is due to how many fans Jones fooled in his first season with the team. It really did appear the franchise had found a great game manager who was going to be the team's answer for seasons to come. However, this obviously isn't the way things played out with a myriad of issues emerging and New England's lack of support all forcing the quarterback out of the franchise and into a backup role.
After spending a season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the signal caller is now backing up San Francisco 49ers starter Brock Purdy. It makes sense for the 49ers to add a backup with starting experience. Jones brings this benefit while also being an option fans aren't going to be clamoring for if Purdy has a bad week or two.
Former Patriots Quarterback Mac Jones Continues to Crumble
With this in mind, it is interesting that Jones is listed among this week's poor performers. It seems the quarterback has continued a familiar trend to New England fans, throwing an interception instead of hitting the open receiver. While the report notes that Jones has a better arm than Purdy, it points out the most important trait that Jones lacks.
Jones simply cannot be relied on to make the right reads and simple plays when it matters most. As frustrating as this might be, it is the truth of why the quarterback is no longer in New England and finds himself struggling in his current role. Many quarterbacks have the needed arm and build to play at this level; the elusive piece is decision making and being able to consistently do so at an elite level. The former Patriot quarterback continues to show that this is a skill set that eludes him.
Furthering San Francisco's frustration with their backup was the veteran calling a timeout during practice. This isn't typical of a backup quarterback and unquestionably isn't something you do in the 49ers' system. All of this adds up to an underwhelming day that highlighted exactly why the lesser talent in San Francisco is the highly paid franchise star, and Jones appears headed for a career as a backup.
It serves as further proof to any Patriots fans holding out hope that perhaps the quarterback simply needed the right fit. There is no longer any denying the fact that Jones is a career backup who simply had one impressive season in New England.