Though it ended in disappointing fashion with an ugly loss to the Bills in Saturday’s AFC Wild Card game, most were impressed by what they saw from Mac Jones in his debut season, leading New England back to the playoffs after a down 2020. While not as physically gifted as others in his class, Jones appeared to be the most NFL-ready of this year’s rookie quarterbacks, registering a higher completion percentage (67.6) than even Tom Brady (67.5).
Unlike his predecessor Cam Newton, Jones looks like he could be the Patriots’ starter for a long time. But in a league where quarterbacks are increasingly treated as disposable parts, Jones’ ceiling is worth debating.