The New England Patriots quarterback competition sounds really real, and Mac Jones apparently is making his move -- even if the Patriots keep things close to the vest publicly.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick has declared Cam Newton the team's No. 1 quarterback at points during the preseason, but Jones undoubtedly has impressed at times. In practices open to the public and in New England's first preseason game, the Alabama product showed why he was the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Belichick has been unsurprisingly muted with any real praise of Jones or an update of where things might stand in a QB competition between the rookie and Newton. However, ESPN's Jeff Darlington says the mood inside the Patriots' facility reflects some real optimism about Jones' short- and long-term prospects.
"I just got a text from somebody within the Patriots organization who pointed out that Mac Jones is handling things 'very well, very smart, very hard worker, steady progress,'" Darlington relayed Wednesday on "Get Up!" as transcribed by Boston.com.
"These are all the things behind the scenes that you want to feel about Mac Jones."
Jones completed 13 of 19 passes for 87 yards in his first taste of NFL action, a preseason-opening win last Thursday vs. Washington. He'll get a second chance to show himself Thursday night in Philadelphia, although it sounds his work when the lights aren't shining the brightest is where he's really starting to make his mark.
"Yes it matters what we personally see in preseason and practice games, but what's happening behind the scenes in that building, the fact that he's making that type of progress, to me, tells you that … this is a competition."
Jones' biggest challenge at this point might be the schedule. With the NFL preseason slate reduced to three games instead of four, that's one less opportunity for him to impress in game action.
There's also the lingering dilemma of the Patriots' Week 4 matchup versus Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Would the Patriots really want to put Jones on that stage to deal with the tangible and intangible pressure that comes with such a showdown?
If we know anything about Belichick, it's that he's most likely to put his best roster out there to win games, no matter the situation, and it sounds like Jones is doing all he can to make Belichick's decision difficult before the regular season begins.
