Mac Jones wanted to say one last goodbye to the New England Patriots following his trade to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In the hours after the trade became official and Jones was introduced as a member of the Jaguars, the former Patriots quarterback penned a goodbye letter to New England on social media.
“The last three seasons with the New England Patriots are years I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Jones in a graphic in a post shared to multiple social media accounts. “I will always be grateful for my time in New England and for the opportunity to start my career in the NFL.”
Jones gave thanks to Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former head coach Bill Belichick as well before thanking his former teammates and fans.
“To Mr. Kraft and the Kraft family, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to make my dream of playing in the NFL come true,” Jones continued. “To coach Belichick and all the coaches and support staff who helped me each and every day, including training, equipment, strength, video staff, and everyone in between, thank you for all you did to help prepare me over the years. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.
“To my teammates, it was an honor to play alongside you these last three years and I will always cherish the friendships we built. And finally, thank you to the fans for always showing up and supporting me and the Patriots. It has been a blessing to be a part of the Patriots organization and I will always have love for the New England community.”
Thank you, New England! pic.twitter.com/3jRygcRDcS
— Mac Jones (@MacJones_10) March 15, 2024
The Patriots selected Jones with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and delivered early on. Jones threw for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in his rookie season, helping New England get back to the postseason for the first time.
But things quickly derailed for Jones following his second-place finish for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Belichick opted to replace longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, installing a new offense that made just about everyone on the unit worse as they ranked 26th in yards that year. jones finished the season throwing for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Jones' play deteriorated even further in 2023, getting benched four times before Bailey Zappe replaced him for good in Week 13. He threw for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions before his final benching.
Even though the Patriots parted ways with Belichick, Jones and the team apparently came to the conclusion it was also time for the quarterback's time to end in New England as well.
“I have all the respect in the world for those guys up there. They’re my first team, drafted me in the first round – can’t thank them enough,” Jones told reporters on Thursday. “We kind of just decided the mutual parting of ways was the best decision for both of us. And for me, it was just about moving on and getting back home and I can’t be more excited. For them, it’s about moving forward and turning the page. So really that’s kind of what we decided, and I think it’s a great decision.”
What Mac Jones said about joining the Jaguars
The trade brings Jones back to the place where he grew up, and he couldn't hold his excitement about that.
“With that being said, I am thrilled to go home and get to work in Duval,” Jones concluded. “Thank you to the Jacksonville Jaguars organization for the opportunity. Let's go!”
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