It's safe to say Mac Jones won over the New England Patriots' locker room.
Not only did Jones perform well between the lines this season, thrusting himself into the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation. The young quarterback also stepped up as a leader, earning the trust of his teammates and coaches while leading New England to the NFL playoffs.
On Tuesday, Jones posted to Instagram for the first time since August. The 23-year-old reflected on his rookie season with the Patriots -- which ended Saturday night with a wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills -- and expressed optimism regarding the future.
Jones' rare social media post caught the attention of several Patriots players, who responded Tuesday with uplifting comments -- and a heavy dose of emojis -- that seem to highlight their confidence in the young signal-caller.
Here are some of the responses, as shared by our own Zack Cox:
The Patriots looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders at one point this season before fading down the stretch, culminating with Saturday's lopsided defeat at Highmark Stadium. Jones also hit a rookie wall, struggling at times as the Pats limped into the playoffs.
Still, New England definitely took a step forward after missing the postseason in 2020. And Jones, selected 15th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, showed enough potential -- on and off the field -- to suggest the Patriots found their next franchise quarterback.
