Alabama Football: Why Mac Jones should start for the Pats

Alabama football should have three starting quarterbacks in the NFL

Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa proved that Alabama football is capable of producing NFL talent at quarterback. Mac Jones will perpetuate that notion as his career with the New England Patriots begins.

Jones is currently the backup behind Cam Newton, but he will be fighting to start this preseason. The Patriots drafted the first first-round quarterback of the Bill Belichick era, and that makes this quarterback battle unprecedented.

It’s hard to know what the Patriots will prioritize after drafting Alabama football’s star QB so highly, but here is why he should start in his rookie season.

Mac has the football IQ

Mac Jones is a rare breed for a rookie quarterback. Most rely on athletic ability as they develop their mental awareness. Jones has the football IQ already, so that will be his strength.

Mac Jones graduated with a 4.0 while being an Alabama football player. He proved his mastery of the offense over his career, and he will learn quickly in New England. You don’t need to wait for him to make smart decisions as a quarterback. He’ll still make mistakes, but the learning curve is unique.

He needs reps

While Mac Jones did lead Alabama football to an undefeated season, he lacks experience. He’s started less than 20 games in college, and he only threw 556 passes over his four-year career. Only Trey Lance threw fewer passes out of the first-round picks.

Because of this, Mac Jones needs to simply take snaps and get into a rhythm. This can only be done if he is the starter, and it’s the best thing for his development. At the end of the day, Mac Jones is the future of the Patriots. You have to invest in him, and that includes investing time.

The competition is close

This is what makes this come to a head. If Mac Jones were backing up an elite quarterback, there would be no doubt that he should stay on the bench. However, Cam Newton’s best days are behind him. He has injury concerns, and he lacks the arm talent to attack a defense vertically.

If a quarterback battle is close, it’s better in the long run to go with the younger option. Mac Jones is going to win this job eventually. The Patriots should just pull the trigger now.

We’ll see Mac Jones in the preseason. If he is where he needs to be, he should win the starting job.