Even as he has not yet played in a mere second of an official NFL game, New England Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones has already left a strong first impression on his teammates.
For one, Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown has featured with Jones in plenty of reps in team practices over the past months. And so far, Brown is a fan of Jones for not only his play but also for his sheer assertiveness when running the offense.
Speaking during Patriots practice on Wednesday, Brown revealed a bit on the side of Jones that has not yet been on full display in the NFL.
“If the play doesn’t go exactly right or how we drew it up in the meeting room, and we get out there and it doesn’t go exactly as planned, he will — on his own, without Coach (Bill Belichick) saying anything — he will say, ‘Do it over.’ And with some authority,” Brown said. “As a young guy, that’s pretty cool to see.
“Him coming from (Alabama), it’s not really surprising, but him being a rookie in the huddle with guys that are much older than him, he just turned (23 years old) this week, it’s pretty cool. I’m excited to see him grow.”
Numerous former Alabama players have been deemed among the more NFL-ready players considering that they are just coming off of featuring under head coach Nick Saban. Being this is the case with Jones as well, Brown is far from surprised to see the stark leadership traits and poise from the former Crimson Tide quarterback over his early run with the Patriots.
“Just the will to win,” Brown said. “Wanting to win and just wanting to be right. I think that’s pretty special for somebody that’s so young. But it’s not surprising considering where he came from.
“I think it’s pretty cool, just because him being a rookie quarterback at the head of the offense, head of the team, you don’t have to baby him. He can handle his own, and I think that’s pretty cool — the coolest part about it.”
The Mac Jones era with the Patriots will kick off in Week 1 when he will be in for a quarterback duel with former Alabama teammate and current Miami Dolphins passer Tua Tagovailoa. This matchup is one that Saban may keep a close watch on.
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