Mac Jones' dubious streak with Jaguars won't help him get paid in free agency

After watching Trevor Lawrence suffer a series of ailments in 2023, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded for Mac Jones in the offseason to upgrade their quarterback room. At the time, the move looked great for both parties: The Jags would get insurance at the most important position on the football field while Jones would get a chance to rebuild his stock. So far, it hasn't been that way.

Jones made his third start of the season against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14. Although he put together a strong drive late in the game, he was underwhelming for the most part, completing 74.2 percent of his throws for 220 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Dating back to his stint with the New England Patriots, Jones has now thrown eight interceptions and no touchdowns in five consecutive starts, per Boston Sports Info. That's not the kind of production you want from the quarterback position.

You could understand Jones' struggles in New England. After all, he didn't have enough weapons or a dependable offensive line. That's not the case with the Jaguars. The Alabama product has no shortage of weapons and has pretty good protection. Simply put, he has no excuse for his underwhelming performance.

Granted, Jones played a role in the win over the Tennessee Titans, but they're one of the worst teams in the league. On the other hand, he struggled against the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions, teams that are poised to make the playoffs.

Mac Jones, a first-round pick in the 2021 draft, made the Pro Bowl and led the Patriots to the playoffs as a rookie. However, he wasn't able to build off of his early success and struggled the following two seasons. After 2023, New England had seen enough of him and traded him to the Jaguars in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

Mac Jones is running out of time to increase his stock ahead of 2025 free agency

Given that Mac Jones is in a contract year, he had a prime opportunity to bounce back and hit the open market in much better shape. However, he hasn't been able to maximize his chance In five games with three starts, he's completed 65.0 percent of his passes for 732 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions.

Working in his favor is that Jones still has time to put it all together. With Trevor Lawrence seemingly out for the season, the Alabama product has four games left to make a strong impression. He probably won't return to the Jags but he will want to put enough tape for other teams in 2025

Right now, it looks like the quarterback market in free agency next year won't have many appealing choices aside from Sam Darnold and maybe Justin Fields. Most of the other options available will be of the backup variety. That could work in Jones' favor. If he finishes the season strong, he could garner enough attention from clubs in need of help at the position.

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