New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones went to take a lap at training camp on Wednesday. He’d made a mistake: fumbling the ball on a snap in wet conditions during a half-speed walkthrough. As he rounded the corner of the field near the stands, the crowd erupted in cheers.
It didn’t matter that he made a mistake on Day 1. It mattered that the first-round rookie was there to compete for the starting job at quarterback. The 22-year-old is a much-needed fresh face after the Patriots struggled at quarterback last year, with Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer, all of whom are back in 2021. This isn’t to say Jones is going to win the competition — there’s hope Newton can bounce back after the Patriots rebuilt their depth chart at receiver and tight end in free agency.
But there’s no doubt: New England is excited to see Jones, who went 15th overall, the highest Belichick has ever drafted a quarterback.
