“I do see (Mac) Jones comparable to (Tom) Brady” - When Joe Namath drew comparisons between Patriots legend and Alabama QB

Alabama quarterback Mac Jones was one of the top quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL draft. He was drafted as the No. 15 pick by the New England Patriots, from a stacked list of QBs, soon after Tom Brady departed.

NFL legend Joe Namath appeared on NFL Network’s "NFL Now" in April 2021 and commented on the selection of Jones, drawing comparisons between the two:

“I don’t see anybody in Tom Brady. He’s one of a kind, right? But I do see Jones comparable to Brady when he was coming out, maybe even ahead of Brady, when Brady was coming out of Michigan.”

Brady was drafted as the No. 199 pick in the 2000 NFL draft but soon became a legend. Despite being limited by his footwork in the pocket, Brady relied on his accurate passing and game acumen to excel.

Namath clarified that he wasn’t implying that Jones would become the next Brady but he has some of the similar traits as the Patriots legend.

“Today’s game, people are in love with cats that can run a lot, too, and that’s good,” Namath said. “But what’s between the ears? How a guy can go from here to there? Tom Brady, he’s not fleet of foot. Jones is not fleet of foot, but he might be the best player in the bunch.”

But when Namath was asked if Jones could be one of the top guys for him, he responded positively:

“I would take him on my team,” Namath said. “Absolutely, I would take him on my team. But I’m not picking him. I don’t know.”

Mac Jones signs with San Francisco 49ers

Despite having a promising start after replacing Cam Newton, Mac Jones couldn’t fill in the massive gap left by Tom Brady’s departure. Jones suffered a slump as the Patriots preferred rookie Bailey Zappe over him before Jones got traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Mac Jones has now signed with the San Francisco 49ers as a backup QB to Brock Purdy. His new contract is worth $7 million for two-years with $5 million guaranteed and an upper limit of $11.5 million. The 49ers fans are excited by his arrival.