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Mac Jones excited for fresh start in Jacksonville, ready to backup Trevor Lawrence
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- Mac Jones excited for fresh start in Jacksonville, ready to backup Trevor Lawrence
Jacksonville-native Mac Jones is happy to be back in his hometown after being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars from the New England Patriots .
The former first rounder was all-smiles during his introductory press conference, noting he's excited for the opportunity to learn from Trevor Lawrence and head coach Doug Pederson as he looks to get the "train back on track" in his career.
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And now, he's able to live out the dream of every youth football player as he suits up for the team he grew up rooting for.
Jacksonville-native Mac Jones holds his introductory press conference after being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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"Coming to the games and growing up as a fan and seeing all the good times, and some of the bad times, it was obviously important for me to fulfill my dream of playing in the NFL," Jones said Thursday. "I had a great opportunity in New England , and I can't thank them enough. I'm happy to be here as a kid from Jacksonville, it's definitely a dream come true."
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Jones started his career leading the Patriots to a 10-7 record and a playoff appearance in his rookie year. The two seasons that followed were rough for him, eventually being benched this season, starting 11 games in 2023.
As the Patriots get set to rebuild, they'll likely draft a quarterback in next month's draft. Rather than keeping Jones on their roster, they gave him the option to choose which team he'd be sent to.
It's an amicable end to a relationship that began with so much promise.
"I have all the respect in the world for those guys up there," Jones said. "They're my first team, they drafted me in the first round, I can't thank them enough.
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"Obviously, we kind of just decided the mutual parting of ways was the best decision for both of us, and for me, it was just about moving on and getting back home."
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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 22: New England Patriots Mac Jones #10 looks on before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
What comes next for Jacksonville is clear. Jones won't be in a quarterback competition with Lawrence for the starting position of the Jaguars.
He was brought in as a reserve player and is looking forward to the opportunity to be just that.
"I've known Trevor for a little bit of time here, since high school," Jones said when asked about his relationship with Lawrence. "I have a lot of respect for his game and I'm here just to learn from him, like I said. He's the captain and he's a great player, he's done a lot of good things here and really, I just want to win."
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Lawrence suffered four separate injuries last season, but he only missed one game. That's despite practicing on a limited basis for most of the last month of the season.
Jacksonville-native Mac Jones holds his introductory press conference after being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In Jones, the Jaguars have a quarterback with starting experience who they can feel comfortable with going out to win a game in a pinch.
But that doesn't mean he doesn't envision himself being a starter again, some day.
"It's about confidence, it's about putting in the work and doing everything right that you can," Jones said. "I feel like I did that and I'm going to continue to do that.
"The results may have been there some days and may not have been there the others. But I think the important part for me is sticking to that process like I've always done and just trying to get back to that."
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Juston Lewis is a Jacksonville Jaguars beat reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on the website formerly known as Twitter at @JustonLewis_ .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Mac Jones reflects on Patriots stint, speaks highly of Trevor Lawrence
