Mac Jones

For the American baseball player, see Mack Jones.

Mac Jones

Jones in a 2020 video for the University of Alabama
No. 10 – New England Patriots
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1998-09-05) September 5, 1998 Jacksonville, Florida
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	214 lb (97 kg)
Career information
High school:	The Bolles School (Jacksonville)
College:	Alabama (2017–2020)
NFL draft:	2021 / round: 1 / pick: 15
Career history
New England Patriots (2021–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
2× CFP National Champion (2017, 2020) Davey O’Brien Award (2020) Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2020) Manning Award (2020) Heisman Trophy runner-up (2020) Consensus All-American (2020) First-team All-SEC (2020) SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2020) Academic All-American of the Year: Division I football (2020–21) Division I overall (2021)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 13, 2021
TD–INT: 16–8 Passing yards: 2,869 Completion percentage: 70.3 Passer rating: 97.0 Rushing yards: 68 Rushing touchdowns: 0 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Michael McCorkle "Mac" Jones (born September 5, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he set the NCAA season records for passer rating and completion percentage en route to winning the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship as a junior. Jones was selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft and became their starter at the beginning of his rookie season.

Early life and high school

Michael McCorkle Jones was born on September 5, 1998, to Gordon and Holly Jones in Jacksonville, Florida. His father played tennis at Florida State University and Flagler College. Mac's brother, Will, played soccer at Mercer University, while his sister Sarah Jane played tennis for the College of Charleston. Jones worked as a child model and actor, making appearances in commercials.

Mac Jones played high school football at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, under head coach Corky Rogers. During his junior year in 2015, Jones led Bolles to the state regional final. As a senior in 2016, Jones led Bolles to the Florida 4A title, throwing 29 touchdowns while passing for 1,532 yards.

College career

2017

After originally committing to the University of Kentucky, Jones accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Alabama. Jones arrived as an early enrollee, but was redshirted his freshman season in 2017. Jones was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) and was suspended for the following game against LSU. After throwing for 289 yards and two touchdowns in the Crimson Tide's spring game, Jones was named A-Day MVP.

2018

In the 2018 season, Jones appeared in 14 of the Crimson Tide's 15 games, mostly as a holder on special teams. Jones added his name to the Alabama record book with a 94-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle, the second-longest in school history, in a win against Louisiana.

2019

Jones served as the starting quarterback for the second half of the 2019 season after Tua Tagovailoa suffered a severe hip injury. Jones made four starts for the Tide, beating Arkansas and Western Carolina before falling to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, despite throwing for four touchdowns and 335 yards. Jones then led Alabama to a 35–16 win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. Jones finished the 2019 season with 14 touchdowns passes for 1,503 yards in 11 games.

During his sophomore year, Jones earned a bachelor's degree in communication studies with a 4.00 GPA. After the commencement ceremony, Jones announced he would return to Alabama as a graduate student.

2020

With Tagovailoa departing for the 2020 NFL Draft, Jones took over as the starting quarterback for Alabama. In a game against the #3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs, Jones threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns, helping Alabama win 41–24. On Halloween night, Jones and the Tide shut out Mississippi State 41–0. Jones threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns, all of which went to DeVonta Smith. In the Iron Bowl against Auburn, Jones threw for 302 yards and five touchdowns. The following week, Jones threw for 385 yards and four touchdowns against LSU. With the win, the Tide clinched a berth in the 2020 SEC Championship Game against Florida. There, Jones threw for 418 yards and five touchdowns, with Alabama winning 52–46. They were selected to take on Notre Dame in the 2021 Rose Bowl semifinal game, where he would throw four touchdown passes on route to a 31–14 win.

Alabama would go on to win the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes 52–24, with Jones throwing for 464 yards and five touchdowns. Jones finished the season throwing for 4,500 yards with 41 touchdowns and four interceptions. His 203.1 passer rating and 77.4 completion percentage were both NCAA season records. He was named the recipient of the Davey O'Brien, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm, and Manning Awards. He finished third for the Heisman Trophy, which went to his teammate Smith. Having earned his master's degree in sports hospitality with a 4.00 GPA, Jones also received Academic All-American of the Year honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America in both Division I football and all Division I sports for the 2020–21 school year. Following the season, Jones announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the 2021 NFL Draft.

Statistics

Legend
	NCAA record
	Led the NCAA
Bold	Career high

Season	Games		Passing								Rushing
	GP	GS	Comp	Att	Pct	Yards	Avg	TD	Int	Rate	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
2018	6	0	5	13	38.5	123	9.5	1	0	143.3	3	−8	−2.7	0
2019	11	4	97	141	68.8	1,503	10.7	14	3	186.8	16	36	2.3	1
2020	13	13	311	402	77.4	4,500	11.2	41	4	203.1	35	14	0.4	1
Career	30	17	413	556	74.3	6,126	11.0	56	7	197.6	54	42	0.8	2

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump
6 ft 2+5⁄8 in (1.90 m)	217 lb (98 kg)	32+5⁄8 in (0.83 m)	9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m)	4.83 s	1.70 s	2.76 s	4.39 s	7.04 s	32 in (0.81 m)	9 ft 8 in (2.95 m)
All values from Alabama's Pro Day

One of the top quarterback prospects of the 2021 NFL Draft, Jones was projected to be taken in the first round. Although many analysts predicted he would be selected third overall by the San Francisco 49ers, Jones was selected 15th overall by the New England Patriots after the 49ers drafted North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance. He was the fifth quarterback and the fourth of six Alabama players taken in the first round. Jones was also the first quarterback drafted in the first round by the Patriots since Drew Bledsoe in 1993. He signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $15.6 million fully guaranteed, on July 6, 2021.

Following the preseason, Jones was named the Patriots' starter for 2021. Jones beat out incumbent starting quarterback Cam Newton, who was released during the final roster cuts. He became the first rookie quarterback to start a season opener for the Patriots since Bledsoe in 1993.

Jones faced the Miami Dolphins in his NFL debut, pitting him against former Alabama teammates Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle. He made his first touchdown pass to wide receiver Nelson Agholor and finished with 281 passing yards in the 16–17 loss. He completed 29 of 39 passes, giving him the highest completion percentage for an NFL rookie in his debut at 74.4%. Jones earned his first career win the following week with a 25–6 victory over the New York Jets and fellow rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, completing 22 of 30 passes for 186 yards. The next week against the New Orleans Saints, Jones completed 30 of 51 passes for 270 yards and one touchdown, but also threw three interceptions, including his first to safety P. J. Williams and a pick-six to safety Malcolm Jenkins. The Patriots subsequently lost 13–28.

In Week 4, Jones made his Sunday Night Football debut against the defending Super Bowl LV champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Jones completed 31 of 40 passes for 275 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. He also had 19 consecutive completions, the most for an NFL rookie since 1991 and tying the franchise record set by Brady in 2015. Despite his performance, the Patriots lost 17–19. Jones had his first fourth quarter comeback and game-winning drive during Week 5 against the Houston Texans when he helped the Patriots rally from a 9–22 deficit to win 25–22. He also became the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to complete over 70 percent of over 30 passes in four of his first five starts, along with tying Joe Burrow's record 135 completions for a rookie during his first five starts. During Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys, Jones threw a pick-six to former Alabama teammate Trevon Diggs that gave Dallas a 21–26 lead, but converted a 75-yard go-ahead touchdown to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne on his next play. The Patriots subsequently lost 29–35 in Jones' first overtime appearance.

In Week 7, the Patriots began a seven-game winning streak in which Jones completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 1,397 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions. The streak began with Jones' first win at home, a 54–13 rout of the Jets, in which he threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns. One of Jones' strongest performances during the streak came in a 45–7 win in Week 10 against the Cleveland Browns, in which he completed 19 of 23 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns. In both games, backup Brian Hoyer relieved Jones in the fourth quarter. Jones' performance made him the first Patriots rookie quarterback to have three touchdowns and no interceptions in a game since Butch Songin during their inaugural 1960 season. In the following week's 25–0 shutout victory over the Atlanta Falcons, he completed 84.6 percent of his passes, making him the first NFL rookie quarterback to complete 80% of his passes in consecutive games. Amid the winning streak, Jones was named Offensive Rookie of the Month for November. The Patriots' Week 14 game against the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo was impacted by heavy winds, leading offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to design a run-heavy game plan. Jones spent most of a 14–10 victory over the Buffalo Bills handing the ball off: he attempted just three passes and completed two of them. The three attempts were the fewest in franchise history, and the second-fewest since the AFL–NFL merger (the Bills attempted just two passes in a 1974 game).

NFL career statistics

Year	Team	Games			Passing								Rushing				Sacks		Fumbles
		GP	GS	Record	Comp	Att	Pct	Yards	Avg	TD	Int	Rate	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Sck	SckY	Fum	Lost
2021	NE	13	13	9–4	270	384	70.3	2,869	7.5	16	8	97.0	32	68	2.1	0	24	204	5	2
Career		13	13	9–4	270	384	70.3	2,869	7.5	16	8	97.0	32	68	2.1	0	24	204	5	2

External links

• New England Patriots bio
• Alabama Crimson Tide bio