Faith in quarterback Mac Jones seems to be at an all-time low around the New England Patriots organization, but the third-year quarterback has one big believer elsewhere: Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Jones was benched after starting against the New York Giants on November 26, going to the bench for the second half after throwing two interceptions in the first half. He did not play in the Patriots’ 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on December 3, as New England’s head coach Bill Belichick went with back-up Bailey Zappe.
Belichick was asked about the change following the game and simply said he thought Zappe “deserved” the opportunity. When a reporter asked Belichick if he thinks he personally has let Jones down, Belichick shrugged and said, “Just trying to put the best team out there that we can every week.”
Hill, speaking on a recent episode of his It Needed To Be Said podcast, defended Jones.
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Hill’s co-host Julius Collins said he doesn’t believe Jones “has that dog in him” and suggested that Belichick might agree.
“Man, look, every man cries for what he loves,” Hill said. “I don’t know where I got that from, but every man cries for what he loves. I just think Coach Belichick has put my dog in a bad situation.”
Collins interrupted Hill to repeat that Jones “doesn’t have that dog in him,” but Hill stuck to his phrasing.
“You put my dog Mac Jones in a bad situation. I love Mac Jones. I love his personality, I love how he carries himself, I love how he competes and I just love everything about him, and I just feel like they’re doing a bad job of putting him in situations. I feel like they’re trying to get him out of New England.”
Again, Collins suggested that the Patriots might be trying to get Jones out of New England because he doesn’t have enough dog in him.
“Probably the coaches don’t like him,” Hill countered. “It’s probably one of them situations where him and the coach have a situation because Mac, he does have an outsized personality. Mac Jones is from Florida. Think about it. He from Florida. Think about it now. Think about the personalities. … Mac Jones, QB1.”
Collins added that he hopes Jones will “come back with vengeance” and reclaim his starting job.
“He will,” Hill said. “Just give it time. It’s just a rough season. We all have rough seasons, which is normal, because we’re human too. Once he figures it out and they get the dice rolling, he’s going to come back full swing, full momentum and prove everybody wrong.”
Jones showed promise his rookie year with the Patriots, completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His completion percentage and yards-per-attempt fell every year, however, and this season his interceptions (12) have outpaced his touchdowns (10).
The Patriots are 2-10 entering Thursday night’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they seem to have their eyes on the top of the draft, where quarterback prizes like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels could await the NFL’s worst teams.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.