When Mac Jones’ QB Coach First Told Him To Seek Patriots Trade

If it were up to his personal quarterback coach, Mac Jones wouldn’t have made it to Year 2 with the Patriots, let alone Year 3.

During a conversation with NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran, Joe Dickinson, who’s known Jones for 11 years, revealed he told the 2021 first-rounder to seek a trade after his first season in New England.

“After the first season, I saw that it was really good for Mac and I saw that his coach (Josh McDaniels) was leaving,” Dickinson told Curran. “And I advised Mac and his agent to go and ask for a trade. … I just said, ‘Hey, I just think it would be better for you and the Patriots if they trade you.’

“I felt like, ‘Hey, if you really want this guy to work, you’re going to get some guys around him. You’re going to put the right guys around him helping him. And if you don’t, this is really easy, just trade him, get another guy, because that’s allowed and that’s within the rules.’ “

Dickinson then offered interesting insight into how Jones reacted to the idea of requesting a trade after his impressive rookie campaign.

“Mac is Mac, for whatever reason,” Dickinson said. “He grew up watching Tom Brady. … And for whatever reason, he’s always been a New England Patriots fan and he wanted to be like Brady, (who) a lot of guys want to be like. The good Lord made one Tom Brady. And I think Mac wanted to be that guy. Yeah. And still does.”

Jones, of course, regressed in his second season and was even worse in 2023. His time as the Patriots’ franchise quarterback appears to be over, even though there reportedly is a chance of his return in 2024.

Dickinson probably was offering bad advice a couple of years ago, but Jones might’ve been better off had he taken it.