New England Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones made a formality official Tuesday.
The first-round pick from Alabama signed his rookie contract, a four-year, $15.6 million deal that also includes a fifth-year option. It features an $8.7 million signing bonus. Multiple outlets reported the transaction.
Jones, the No. 15 overall pick, is currently second on the Patriots’ depth chart at quarterback behind returning starter Cam Newton, who struggled in his only season in New England. Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham, who both backed up Newton last year, are also on the roster.
Jones impressed the team’s veterans during OTAs and minicamp earlier this summer sparking speculation that he might have a chance to start sooner rather than later.
The Patriots are just over three weeks from the July 28 start of training camp. New England hosts the Washington Football Team on Aug. 12 in the first preseason game. They open the regular season against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 12.
The 6-foot-3, 217-pound passer threw for 4,500 passing yards, 41 TDs, 4 INTs in his junior year at Alabama playing for Coach Bill Belichick’s friend and confidant Nick Saban, before turning professional. He was a consensus All-American and a first-team All-SEC and won the Davey O’Brien Award winner for the nation’s top quarterback.
LIKE MOST Patriots, N’Keal Harry is looking forward to the upcoming NFL season.
Unlike the rest of his teammates, the third-year receiver is hoping to play elsewhere.
Harry’s agent, Jamal Tooson, released a statement to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo formally announcing a trade request. In the statement, Tooson wrote he believes it’s best for Harry to get a fresh start outside of New England. The Pats drafted Harry with the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 draft.
Harry is the only Patriots wide receiver taken in the first round under Coach Bill Belichick. He totaled 414 receiving yards and four touchdowns the past two seasons, starting 14 of 21 games. He caught 55.6% of his targets, a catch rate well below those of other Pats receivers.
Billed as a downfield threat who could win outside and after the catch, the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder never lived up to predraft expectation. Harry’s rookie training camp yielded inconsistency, then injury, which sidelined him for the first half of the 2019 season. Despite returning in November, he managed barely 100 receiving yards catching passes from Tom Brady through an eventual wild-card loss playoff loss.
Last year, surrounded by one of the worst receiving corps in the league, Harry posted the lowest catch rate among Pats wideouts who played at least half the season. Midseason, his personal trainer laid some of the blame for Harry’s struggles at Cam Newton’s feet during an interview with USA Today Sports. Nonetheless, Newton defended Harry last February during an appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast.
“He was battered,” Newton told the show, referring to the team’s demanding culture and environment.
Tooson’s statement:
“For the past several months, I have been working in cooperation with the Patriots behind the scenes to put a plan in place to allow N’Keal to thrive in New England. Through two seasons, he has 86 targets, which obviously hasn’t met the expectations the Patriots and N’Keal had when they drafted a dominant downfield threat who was virtually unstoppable at the point of attack in college.
“Following numerous conversations with the Patriots, I believe it’s time for a fresh start and best for both parties if N’Keal moves on before the start of training camp. That is why I have informed the Patriots today I am formally requesting a trade on behalf of my client.
“N’Keal understands a key ingredient to production is opportunity. He will continue to work hard to develop and refine his craft after missing a large portion of his rookie year to injury. His draft-day expectations for his NFL career have not changed. We are confident success is just around the corner for him and will aggressively pursue it.”
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