Patriots' Mac Jones Says He Can't Wait to Play for Best Franchise in NFL History

The New England Patriots had a down year in 2020, but Mac Jones isn't letting that skew his perception of his new team.

"I can't wait to play for the greatest franchise in NFL history," Jones said after the team drafted him with the No. 15 overall pick on Thursday. 

Jones is the first quarterback to be drafted by New England in the first round since Drew Bledsoe in 1993. 

Born in 1998, Jones has hardly known an NFL that wasn't run by the Patriots. All six of the team's Super Bowl championships have come during his life. 

But after the team missed the postseason for the first time since 2008 and posted its worst record since 2000 in the wake of legendary quarterback Tom Brady's departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jones will have his work cut out for him in an effort to return New England to its former glory. 

The team made some significant additions in the offseason, bulking up the offense that seemed set to run again under Cam Newton, who the team signed to a one-year deal this offseason. Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry all arrived to bulk up an offense that ranked sixth-worst in the league with just 327.3 yards per game. 

With those weapons, it should be easy for Jones to carry the skill that helped him lead Alabama to a national title over into the NFL. As a junior in 2020, he threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns with just four interceptions, a year after taking over as a starter following Tua Tagovailoa's injury. 

Whether or not Jones immediately takes over, it seems the franchise's future is set.