The New England Patriots certainly have found their quarterback.
There were questions after the Patriots struggled to open the season with rookie Mac Jones under center fresh out of 2021 NFL Draft, but he learned on the fly and brought New England back to the postseason and impressed along the way.
He’s not flashy, but was consistent and put together one of the finest rookie seasons by a quarterback in team history. Although the Patriots lost to the Miami Dolphins in the Week 18 season finale and Jones didn’t have his best game, he still impressed tight end Hunter Henry who had heaps of praise for the 23-year-old QB.
“I mean, he’s tough. He’s resilient. Obviously, it shows a lot. He obviously didn’t play his best early, had some crucial mistakes. I know he’s going to learn from them and grow. He’s young. But, still, just the resiliency of him,” Henry said. “The toughness of him taking some shots today especially. He’s a tough, tough dude. And I’m glad to have him as our quarterback.”
The duo definitely built a strong connection in their first campaign together. Henry finished the regular season with 50 catches and 603 receiving yards — the third highest total of his six-year career — to go along with a career-high nine touchdown catches.
Jones finished his rookie reason with 3,801 passing yards, 22 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. Jones’ 22 TD passes broke former Patriots quarterback Jim Plunkett’s rookie record of 19 set in 1971.
