New England Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones is already making an impression on his teammates as he embarks on a journey to take over, at some point, as the Patriots starting quarterback.
Jones was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
“He has a swag to him that I didn’t know that he had at first,” Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne said, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “He’s out there confident, and that is what you need in a quarterback. Good energy, awesome guy, comes to work and you just can feel his energy and leadership already.”
Jones worked behind starter Cam Newton, while backups Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham worked on the other side of the field. Head coach Bill Belichick has said that Newton is the team’s choice as starter.
“Mac dove into the playbook and continues to do that” Belichick said of Jones. “We all have a lot of things we got to work on, and so that’s what he’s doing.”
“Mac’s doing a great job,” Pats tight end Hunter Henry said. “We’re just all going through it together, him being even new to the atmosphere of this next level. Good to have him here, and we’re all excited for him.”
Belichick also discussed how the veteran Newton has handled Jones being brought in.
“Cam was here at the beginning and has been a consistent participant, continues to give us the usual leadership and energy that he brings, so Cam’s very professional and I’m sure that he’ll continue to work hard and do his best out there like he’s always done for us. It’s never been anything but that from the day he got here,” he said.
