USAT: Patriots Wire
For the first time in quite a while, New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones gets to step back from football for a little bit. In what has been a whirlwind year, Jones went from winning a national championship at Alabama to going through the draft process to becoming the starting quarterback for the Patriots — all in eight months. - The offseason is an opportunity for things to slow down. - “You get a second just to catch your breath and figure everything out,” Jones told Patriots.com on Wednesday. ‘This has definitely been the longest year. It’s been almost two years of football…. It’s always good to step away and evaluate what you can get better at.” - Jones threw for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in the regular season. He was able to lead the Patriots to the first round of the NFL playoffs. His was also named a Pro Bowl alternate. Appearing in the game, he threw for 112 yards and a touchdown. - Overall, this offseason will be the first time in quite a while that Jones has been able to take a break. This gives him a chance to take everything in, and work to get better as he prepares for his second year. As Jones looks to take the next step, he will have a chance to do so at a slower pace, at least for a little bit. - - RelatedPFF predicts Patriots will add playmaking corner in free agency - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Patriots Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Patriots Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.