Mac Jones said on continuing the standard set by Tom Brady: “He’s the greatest QB to ever play.”
He shares his thoughts on continuing the standard set by Tom Brady as the Patriots QB and any advice he’d offer Jordan Love as the Packers QB looks to replace Aaron Rodgers under center in Green Bay.
Mac Jones can relate to the quarterback he’s sharing the field with this week.
The New England Patriots are in Green Bay for a pair of joint practices with the Packers, whose fourth-year quarterback, Jordan Love, is tasked with keeping a historic franchise competitive following the departure of a future Hall of Famer in Aaron Rodgers.
Jones knows a thing or two about Love’s situation: While he technically took the Patriots’ starting job from Cam Newton, he was drafted in 2021 to ostensibly take the torch from Tom Brady as New England’s next franchise quarterback.
He finished second in NFL Rookie of the Year voting in 2021 while leading the Patriots to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth. It looked like Bill Belichick may have found his QB of the future.
That’s why the stakes are so high for 2023: If Jones can thrive under veteran offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, he could re-establish himself as Brady’s heir apparent if he continues to struggle, it could be the beginning of the end of his Patriots tenure with his rookie contract set to expire after the 2024 season.
The Patriots quarterback was as transparent as he’d been when speaking about Brady publicly.
“I think Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL,” Jones said. “So, to follow (after) him, it’s just trying to chase the standard he set every day.
Honestly, we’re two different players. That’s the only advice I’d have: Just continue to grow and be yourself, right? That’s all you can do. Put your best foot forward and compete. But yeah, it’s big shoes to fill.”
Now that he’s been around for a bit, does Jones still feel the long shadow that Brady has cast?
“I got drafted like three years ago, so it’s just trying to move on from that part of it,” Jones said, “and understanding how you can set the standard that he had already set, you know? For us, it’s just every year is a new year. You’ve got to go out and earn it. He did that every year. And I’m going to continue to do that as well.”
