The New England Patriots selected Alabama quarterback Mac Jones at number 15 overall in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. In a somewhat unprecedented move for head coach Bill Belichick – who had never drafted a quarterback in the first round – the expectations for Jones should be lofty heading into his rookie season.
Recently retired Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman joined Michael Irvin's podcast and gave Jones some advice that might send the rookie into shambles with camp starting to roll around.
“This ain’t going to be easy. This town is tough. This town is mean. This town is blue-collar. Boston people, the New England people, they want winning. They’re used to that in all sports. The kid’s going to have a lot of pressure,” Edelman said, according to Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk.
Well, Edelman certainly isn't wrong. For a fanbase such as the Patriots that had witnessed Tom Brady lead the team to six Super Bowls in his time at the helm, they are used to winning. Not only that, but the Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics, not to mention the Boston Bruins, have all won championships in their respective sports over the past 20 years.
While that's not what Jones wants to hear, maybe it's what he needs. After all, Jones did play at Alabama, which holds a special place among college football programs over the past couple of decades. Jones has two college football titles of his own, one from 2017 and one from 2020, where he was the starter for Coach Nick Saban's Crimson Tide team that beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 52-24 in the title game.
So, Jones is used to winning, and it's nothing new for him to face the pressure of a storied program. However, the Patriots missed out on the playoffs in 2020, so perhaps the fans around New England are as anxious as ever for Jones to expedite them back to relevance as soon as in 2021.
Pressure is on, Mac.
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