2x Patriots Super Bowl champ disgusted by Mac Jones, taps Drake Maye as NE's future for next decade

Eyebrows were raised when the New England Patriots picked Mac Jones 15th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. At the time, the Patriots were struggling to find a replacement for Tom Brady, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jones' career never really took off in New England and now he finds himself playing backup to Trevor Lawrence with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jones has found himself in the spotlight late this season after Lawrence suffered a season-ending injury against the Houston Texans.

Even though he is no longer associated with the Patriots, franchise legend Rob Ninkovich refuses to let the young signal caller rest easy.

On the latest episode of "The Dan and Ninko Show," the two-time Super Bowl champion highlighted the difference between Jones and Maye's personality. Referring to a clip of the Jaguars QB responding to a question about throwing picks, Ninkovich said:

“That was a terrible interception."

"Drake [Maye] is a breath of fresh air. We got our quarterback for the next 10 years,” he added.

After watching a clip of Maye practicing accountability for his shortcomings, Ninkovich said:

“I love this kid.”

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New England Patriots looking at bright future in 2025 with Drake Maye on board

The quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft appear to have all settled into their respective roles. Caleb Williams has been a little shaky but has shown glimpses of why he was being hailed as a generational talent.

Jayden Daniels is well on his way to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year while Drake Maye has looked like the most NFL-ready quarterback in the league.

While they have nothing left to play for other than a higher draft pick for April, the Patriots will have plenty of room to make some big moves in free agency.

Spotrac projects New England to have $132 million in cap space, $20 million more than the Las Vegas Raiders, who just played themselves out of the running for the number one overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

However, the Patriots have not exactly been big spenders in free agency over the past few years. They have been strongly linked with prising Tee Higgins away from the Cincinnati Bengals this summer.