New England Patriot Captain Devin McCourty was on Good Morning Football on February 27th. The soon to be 37 year old was chopping it up with the crew, which included his brother and former teammate, Jason McCourty.
One topic the veteran Patriot spoke on was quarterback Mac Jones. McCourty chose to defend the two-year quarterback in all aspects. He decided to go in on what the “sources” say about Jones inside of the locker room and on the field.
Jones on the Hot Seat
Jones was under a lot of scrutiny by people all around the football community for a season that many thought could have been better. A lot of this attributes to the revolving door of offensive responsibilities held by the coaching staff, as well as the overall behavior of Jones throughout his two NFL seasons.
Instances that put Jones in hot water include when he was seen low hitting Bengals corner Eli Apple behind the play.
Mac Jones is such a dirty player. Even slowed down before he lowered and cut off Eli Apple. @BarstoolAlabama pic.twitter.com/QnN7GzlPrv
— Barstool Cincinnati (@UCBarstool) December 25, 2022
There was also the grabbing of the ankle of Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns.
Everyone (justifiably) mad at Mac Jones for that kick to the crotch, but don’t forget him gator rolling Brian Burns last year.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) October 25, 2022
Guy plays QUARTERBACK and has had multiple obvious dirty plays in less than a year. pic.twitter.com/mK0X9QBwQj
Another questionable one was a dirty slide into Jaquan Brisker of the Chicago Bears.
🏈 Mac Jones slides and hits Jaquan Brisker in the nuts 🥜 The Manningcast replay. pic.twitter.com/xaw4UcosEL
— René Bugner (@RNBWCV) October 25, 2022
Jones has also received criticism for his attitude on the field. Some call his attitude “whiny” or “complanatory”. Where some see babyish behavior like these, veterans like Devin see something else:
McCourty claims that “It speaks volumes that he is a captain in that locker room in only his second year… I think he is the future of New England…” He continues to add, “As a teammate, I don’t care who he trips out there, he wants to win.”
Behaviors some call “whiny” are the same behaviors possessed by a well-known Patriot legend Tom Brady. Brady is often observed in the world spotlight as someone who throws temper tantrums. He was widely known as one to sound off coaches and teammates.
This is where a comparison of Jones and Brady is definitely suitable. Most do not understand the traits that make a great leader on and off the field. Firing up teammates and crawling people for certain decisions is a downside of being responsible for teammates behind the uniform.
McCourty Sees the Fire in Mac
The way McCourty sees it, if Mac is rubbing people the wrong way, he is doing the right thing. McCourty continues by adding that Jones speaks to what he thinks, even when it comes to naming playscalls he does not like.
McCourty adds that situations like this are bound to “rub people the wrong way” because it goes against the grain. He claims that is what Mac will do to make sure the team is getting what fits them the best.
Another key point from this conversation is when McCourty adds this to the end of this topic:
“What people don’t always understand, in our locker room, Bill (Belichick) pushes that… If you don’t like something, tell us, we’ll throw it out.”
Devin McCourty on Good Morning Football
Belichick and McCourty both believe in leaders who decide what is best for the team, no matter what the consequences. This is something that leads into “The Patriot Way.”
Tying this all together, Devin McCourty says that Mac has all the intangibles that you would want to have in a quarterback. The safety drafted in 2010 has 100% bought into what Mac Jones still has to offer.