Maybe at a high school reunion, a wedding, a funeral or what have you.
But upon reconnecting with them, you realize you truly dodged a bullet.
That the years had not be kind to them.
And whatever physical attraction you once had for them, it’s now long gone.
Buried deep like some ancient artifact under sedimentary layers of Chunky Monkey or Jameson’s and Gingers.
Which is exactly where I am with Mac Jones.
He was all I wanted in a quarterback.
A winner, coming off a 13-0 National Championship season.
With an immense 36-for-45, 464-yard, 5 TD game in the Natty.
A guy who was of course surrounded by future NFL 1st round talent.
But one who commanded that huddle filled with Alphas.
And for a year, it was all looking so good.
OK, make that the middle of a year.
Our future seemed to be in the best of hands.
But looking back, it was just fool’s gold.
This team and its quarterback were not nearly as good as they’d looked.
Still, Jones made the Pro Bowl:
… and seemed to have arrived.
He looked for all the world like the quarterback of our future.
And to him, I owe my deepest and most sincere apology.
That 2022 season was a long time ago in NFL terms.
He played over his head for a while, but he’s returned to the mean.
Water has sought it’s own level.
NFL defenses have figured Jones out.
Your eyes are definitely not deceiving you, so you need no further proof.
But here are the numbers.
And even then Jones would be the worst.
Right now, he can’t even achieve that status.
To be very clear, I am saddened by this, not gladdened.
America loves a good redemption story and I love America, so bring it on.
But for now, the best any of his former fans can do is hope he can achieve less-than-averageness.
Because anything close to the real promise like he showed as a rookie feels utterly impossible right now.
So at this point, Pats fans who once believed in him can only be grateful for two things.
Our future present and future is so much brighter because this relationship didn’t work out.
We dodged the biggest of bullets.
