A former New England Patriots standout has attributed Mac Jones‘ lack of success in Boston to head coach Bill Belichick. Jones, who was recently traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a draft pick, endured a challenging tenure at Gillette Stadium. Despite a 66% pass completion rate, he threw 35 interceptions compared to 46 touchdowns, failing to live up to the expectations following Tom Brady’s departure.
Jones’ exit comes just months after Belichick’s dismissal, yet former teammate Damian Harris believes the young quarterback’s struggles were not his fault. Harris, who played with Jones for two seasons, pointed to the coaching changes as a significant factor.
“What happened in New England to Mac Jones was because of the fact you took away an offensive coordinator who coached him to be a Pro Bowler and almost coached us to winning our division with a rookie quarterback in his first year,” Harris said, according to ProFootballTalk. “And then you take – whenever Josh McDaniels left – Matt Patricia, who has coached defenses his entire life, and Joe Judge, who has been a special teams coach, coached receivers at some point. And then you just throw them in there and be like, ‘Hey, coach this kid up.'”
Josh McDaniels, a key figure in the Patriots’ coaching staff for 14 seasons, served as their offensive coordinator from 2006-2008 and 2012-2021. Under his guidance, the franchise secured six Super Bowls. McDaniels’ departure to the Las Vegas Raiders, where he served as head coach until October 2023, left a significant void. His firing came after the Raiders posted a 3-5 record in the AFC West.
Now with the Jaguars, Jones is positioned as a backup to Trevor Lawrence and will compete with C.J. Beathard in Jacksonville. Despite the setback, Jones’ NFL career is far from over. The Jaguars have declined his fifth-year option, making him a free agent at the end of 2024. However, the franchise exercised Lawrence’s fifth-year option, solidifying their confidence in the former first-overall pick.
As Jones transitions to his new team, the criticism from Harris underscores the challenges he faced in New England, suggesting that coaching instability played a crucial role in his struggles.
