"This is WILD": Patriots fans condemn outlandish Aaron Hernandez reference to Mac Jones’ disasterclass

Note: This article has content that may be considered violent. Reader discretion is advised.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones went into Sunday's matchup against the Indianapolis Colts knowing that this was his opportunity to prove his doubters wrong. By the end of the game, he was instead benched. His final interception was well underthrown and left fans further disappointed with his bad performance.

One NFL fan believed that had former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez been on that team, Jones' physical safety might have been on the line (making an insensitive reference to Hernandez' past, which has been noted later in the article). It garnered a lot of negative responses from other fans, who were shocked by the nature of the comment, given its sad context. Here's what was originally said and the subsequent responses:

What did Aaron Hernandez do?

Aaron Hernandez at Super Bowl XLVI

Aaron Hernandez was accused of triple homicide and later convicted of murdering Odin Lloyd in 2013. Per 10 WJAR, Lloyd was a "semi-professional" football player who was dating his sister at the time. In prison, the tight end committed suicide. Following his death, the star was diagnosed with a "brain disease," per NPR.

The controversy centering around the tight end broke out of the sports media to reach mainstream news outlets nationwide. His death occurred on April 19th, 2017. He was 27 years old. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole on April 15th, 2015. Four days before he hanged himself in 2017, Hernandez had been acquitted of two of the three murders he was initially accused of.

Before his death, he indicated that he might have Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in recordings presented following his death. After his passing, an autopsy revealed that he did indeed suffer from the disease.

Mac Jones stats: How many interceptions does Patriots QB have?

Mac Jones at Miami Dolphins v New England Patriots

If the team elects to transfer the starting role exclusively to Bailey Zappe, Jones would end his time with 10 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and 2031 yards, completing 65.4% of his throws. It would be the worst ratio of his career.

Mac Jones started out strong with a rookie performance that led many to believe that he was the next coming of Tom Brady. Over the following two years, the quarterback's comparisons to the legend went up into thin air.

In his rookie season after beating out Cam Newton for the starting role before Week 1, he threw for 3801 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. In 2021, amid an experiment that might have been the first of its kind with a defensive coordinator calling offensive plays, Jones threw for 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. In total, he has 46 touchdowns and 34 interceptions.

With the Mac Jones era seemingly over, Bill Belichick appears to find himself in line for a top quarterback prospect in 2024.