Remember when Mac Jones hit rock bottom? When the 2021 first-round pick underthrew a wide-open Mike Gesicki by a good 10 feet and was intercepted at the goal line in the New England Patriots' 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany?
Well, Jones is now far away from both Germany and New England and claims his mojo is back as a result.
The Jaguars' backup quarterback, whom the Patriots traded to Jacksonville in March for a 2024 sixth-round pick, seems to be enjoying life in his new NFL home and insists he's ready to bounce back this season after a disastrous 2023 campaign in New England.
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"The whole change of scenery definitely helped," Jones told The Athletic's Jeff Howe on Wednesday after his first training camp practice with the Jaguars. "I’m just having fun playing football.
"I’m at my best when I’m keeping it loose, letting it rip and having that gunslinger mindset that I maybe had lost a little bit of. But I got it back here, and you’ve just got to be consistent with it. It’s good days, bad days and everything in between."
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We'd question whether Jones ever had a "gunslinger mindset" with the Patriots, but there's no doubting he lost confidence over the course of three seasons in Foxboro.
The Alabama product had a strong rookie season in 2021, throwing 22 touchdown passes to 13 interceptions while leading the Patriots to a playoff berth and finishing second in the NFL's Rookie of the Year voting. But the wheels started to come off after the departure of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Jones clashed with first-time offensive play-caller Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in 2022 while going 6-8 as as starter with 14 touchdowns and interceptions, then was even worse in 2023, losing nine of his 11 starts while getting benched for backup Bailey Zappe on multiple occasions.
Jones' public displays of frustration amid his struggles reportedly didn't sit well with Bill Belichick and led in part to his exit in March. But the Jacksonville native is aiming to channel his passion in a more positive way with the Jaguars.
"It’s all about putting on a show," Jones told Howe. "You’re out there (as) a performer, right? You’re the quarterback orchestrating a performance. … It’s a game we all love. Just go out there and have fun with it."
Jones does appear to be having fun in Jacksonville, but the reality is he's the second-string QB behind fellow 2021 first-round pick Trevor Lawrence and is unlikely to see the field unless Lawrence goes down.
If Jones ends up getting action, however, apparently he's ready to rip it.