Mac Jones is entering his second NFL season with little continuity.
The New England Patriots lost Josh McDaniels, a few key offensive coaches and two of their best interior linemen. Typically, quarterbacks in the developmental stages of their career need that cohesion to grow and become the best version of themselves.
Many Patriots players believe Jones puts in the work and has the demeanor necessary to overcome these issues and still be great. Nelson Agholor spoke with the media on Tuesday and he explained why Jones has the work ethic to be great.
“He’s definitely trained his butt off, I can tell you that,” Agholor said, transcribed by NESN. “I see it every day when he comes in here. He works his butt off. He’s here every day putting the time in. And, obviously, when he throws the football, he throws the football well — really well. I’m impressed with what he does every day and how he works.”
Agholor then pointed to Jones’ greatest strength — his communication.
“I think Mac’s greatest strength is his ability to communicate,” Agholor said. “Obviously, he’s a great quarterback. I think he throws the ball amazing. But I love the way he communicates, and that’s something that allows you to grow together and work together, because communication is the key to every great relationship.
“He does a great job telling me what he sees. He does a great job of telling me what he likes about what I’m doing. He does a great job of (telling me about) some things that are hard for him to read when I move around and things like that. And once you know, there’s less gray area. … His communication is everything.”
The Patriots needed a great leader who can communicate and build relationships with the team. Tom Brady was an incredible leader and he left enormous shoes to fill. Jones understood the task while entering Gillette Stadium and he’s doing all the right things to be in the best position as possible.
Agholor continued to harp on the work ethic that makes Jones a great leader.
“He works hard, I can tell you that much,” Agholor said. “He leads by example with his effort each day. It’s consistent. He has consistent, hard-working effort, trains really hard, and he leads the bunch. So I think that is definitely something you must respect about him — how he trains.”
Jones has a receiver crew that includes Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers, DeVante Parker and Tyquan Thornton. He has plenty of talent around him and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Jones outdid his rookie year.