Jones declared, “I don’t have regrets,” at his first news conference following his trade. “It seems like I expose everything. That organization got a lot from me, and I gave a lot to them. Here, I’m going to follow suit. Those men up there have my utmost respect. They selected me in the first round, making them my first team.
The trade marks Jones’ first career change in teams since the Patriots took him with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 draft. Jones attended Jacksonville (Fla.) The Bolles School, graduated as part of the 2017 recruiting class and graded as a three-star prospect and the nation’s No. 17 pro-style quarterback. He projects to serve as the Jaguars’ backup to Trevor Lawrence.
“For me, it was just about moving on and getting back home, and I can’t be more excited,” Jones said. “And 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.”
After a great debut season, Jones’ professional career took a different direction. The Alabama product quickly lived up to his first-round potential during his first season in New England in 2021, defeating Cam Newton for the starting position in the preseason. In his first career game, he set a record for the NFL’s rookie completion percentage with a rate of 74.4%. After totaling just over 4,000 yards of offense, he went on to finish second in the Rookie of the Year vote.
With diminishing efficiency over the ensuing two years, though, the one-time Pro Bowler lost his handle on the starting role and ceded playing time to backup Across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Jones tallied 24 touchdowns to 23 interceptions and saw his completion rate, yardage and passer rating fall to career-low marks.
