The Patriots didn’t do Mac Jones any favors the last two seasons, but the quarterback’s New England tenure didn’t end as sourly as some might have expected.
Jones reportedly was kept abreast of the Patriots’ plans to trade him leading up to the start of the new NFL year. New England ultimately found a partner in Jones’ hometown of Jacksonville, where the 2021 first-rounder will have an opportunity to get his career back on track. Kendrick Bourne is going to miss Jones in Foxboro, Mass., but he was pleased to see how amicably the Patriots and the fourth-year quarterback cut ties.
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“I’m happy for him that he’s going to get a fresh start, which is awesome for him,” Bourne said on the “Pats Interference Football Podcast,” as transcribed by MassLive. “Being back home, it might be a good environment for him, someplace he’s familiar with. … I think the Patriots did well by him, with letting him go back home. I don’t know if they talked about that or anything. But that was cool for him to go back to his hometown and be around his family. After all he’s been through, that’ll probably be helpful.”
Jones isn’t poised to see much playing time with his new team in 2024. But the upcoming season still could be beneficial to the Alabama product, who can learn from head coach Doug Pederson and starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence and try to set himself up nicely for 2025 free agency.
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As for the Patriots, it remains to be seen who Bourne and company will catch passes from this season.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
