“It’s one of the best” - Jordan Palmer says Patriots QB Mac Jones is having one of the best rookie seasons ever
Mac Jones has earned every bit of praise he's received for his unbelievable rookie campaign. The 23-year-old is mentally more advanced than any rookie quarterback we've seen in ages. He's led the New England Patriots to a six-game winning streak and into first place in the AFC East.
Jones' stellar play earned him the Offensive Rookie of the Month award for November. He's also earned respect and praise from quarterback guru Jordan Palmer. Palmer went on The Rich Eisen Show Friday to discuss what he's seen from the ascending star.
"[Rich Eisen Show] Qb summits Jordan Palmer : Mac Jones is having one of the best rookie seasons ever" redd.it/r7unu9
Jordan Palmer says Mac Jones is having one of the best rookie seasons ever.
Palmer is a quarterback guru who has worked with rookie quarterbacks coming into the league since 2014. His quarterback summit has turned into a go-to training camp for youngsters like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow.
His opinion on quarterbacks holds a lot of weight, and he had high praise for Jones. Palmer said that Jones is having one of the best rookie seasons ever. He said,
"It's one of the best. I don't go off of stats a lot, but my takeaway was, watching Brady at Gilette this year drive down the field. Just watching Mac Jones warm up on the sidelines, he just had that look. He didn't get a chance to go back in. He just had that look on his face like there was no question he was going to come back in and score. And I just remember telling people if I was a Patriots fan, I'd be stoked on how tonight went. Get the little swan song, goodbye to Brady when Brady came back in Tampa. But your young rookie just went toe-to-toe and had no concerns for the 20+ years (experience edge). Like, that's a confident dude. And I get he played at Bama, he's an elite 11 kid, he's been around it. But I'm still continually blown away by just how quickly Mac is advancing."
The accolades for Jones are already incredibly extensive. He had the highest yards per attempt average of all quarterbacks in November. He leads the NFL in completion percentage and is dominating his rookie peers at quarterback in every statistic possible.
Against the blitz, Mac Jones has remained poised and confident. He hasn't let the pressure of the defense or the big moment get to him. He's one of the best fourth-quarter quarterbacks in the NFL.
Highest graded Quarterbacks this season
1️⃣ Tom Brady: 91.5
2️⃣ Kirk Cousins: 90.2
3️⃣ Justin Herbert: 89.0
4️⃣ Mac Jones: 86.9 👀 https://t.co/JtQpTJoi9S
Jones has had six games with a passer rating over 100. For reference, none of the other quarterbacks drafted in 2021 have had any. Ja'Marr Chase is Jones' only real competition for Offensive Rookie of the Year. But Jones is further securing the award with each passing week.
Rookie quarterbacks have no business being as advanced as Jones is. Players like him are one in a million. Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields could blossom into stars down the road, but Jones is rightfully receiving star treatment after just 12 games.
The Patriots and Bill Belichick are set for another decade of superiority thanks to their star quarterback. The Patriots will go as far as Mac Jones takes them this season, and a Super Bowl return is absolutely on the table.