The Jacksonville Jaguars latest move shows how they feel about Mac Jones.

Dec 17, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

When Mac Jones was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, people in New England thought they were getting a franchise quarterback for years to come.

Things got off to a good start in 2021, where he led the Pats to a 10-7 record, throwing for 3,801 passing yards, and 22 passing touchdowns. Those numbers helped him notch a Pro Bowl appearance.

After his hot start, things cooled down significantly. Over the last two years, he went 8-17, throwing for 5,117 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. He was also benched on multiple occasions which led to him getting traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2024 sixth-round pick.

It looks like the Jaguars are already making plans to move on from Jones shortly after acquiring him.

Not a huge shocker — but the Jaguars will not be picking up the fifth-year option on former #Patriots first-round pick Mac Jones.

— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) April 30, 2024

According to Mike Kadlick, the Jaguars won’t pick up Jones’ fifth-year option. Firstly, this isn’t a surprise as they already have a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence.

Secondly, if Jacksonville picked up Jones’ option, they would have to pay him $29.504 million in 2025 due to him making one Pro Bowl in his first four years in the league.

That wouldn’t have been a wise financial move as Jones hasn’t shown much progress over the past two years. The Alabama product has built a reputation of being a dirty player and complainer on the sideline. He also wasn’t the most loved player in the locker room with the Pats.

Jacksonville is taking a cautious approach with Jones and will allow him to hit the open market after the 2024 season.

Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon will be ‘out for a vendetta’ this season

The Pro Bowl linebacker missed most of 2023 due to a biceps injury.

The New England Patriots were bitten hard by the injury bug in 2023 — a big reason for their eventual 4-13 finish. One of the most prominent losses was edge linebacker Matthew Judon, whose season came to a premature end in October because of a biceps injury.

Judon is well on his way to a comeback this season, and quite eager to return to the field. In March, he said that he had “a lot in store” for 2024. This week, during a recent appearance on former teammate James White’s The Money Down podcast, he took it a step further: there will be no messing around for the 31-year-old this season.

“I’m out for a vendetta,” Judon said. “I got s—t to prove, and I got stuff I want to get done in my career. Personally, I’m going to be all BS all year. I’m about to turn the dial back.”

PATS NATION!!! You heard it from @man_dammn himself. He’s On straight BS and is on a vendetta after last season 😈 the Mayo era STARTS NOW! pic.twitter.com/hNBMpx8WI0

— Themoneydown (@Themoneydownpod) May 1, 2024

Judon has been one of the Patriots’ best players since joining them on a four-year free agency deal in 2021. He reached consecutive career highs in sacks each of his first two seasons with the club, and continued his Pro Bowl-level play early on in 2023.

Now entering the final year of his current contract with the Patriots, Judon is looking for a bounce-back performance — and more. The circumstances, however, have changed quite a bit since he last appeared in a game: long-time head coach Bill Belichick left the organization in January, and was replaced by his former assistant Jerod Mayo.

The Belichick-to-Mayo transition does not mark a drastic departure from the culture that was established at One Patriot Place over the past two-plus decades. The team will still have a significantly different look in 2024.

Nonetheless, Judon is not willing to use the “r” word to describe it: in his view, the Patriots are not in the rebuilding business.

“It’s not going to be the same. It’s not going to be the same Patriots,” he said. “I know it’s going to look different, it’s going to feel different. But we’re not laying down for anybody. We’re not trying to rebuild. That’s what everybody — ‘Oh, you’re in a rebuild.’ This is not post-apocalypse. We just got a new coach.

“He was there for a long time; he was a great coach; he was great for the organization; he did everything in his power to win championships. But now it’s Mayo’s time to do the exact same thing. We’re not about to come out every game looking like a deer in the headlights. We’re going to put the best 11 on the field — offense, defense and special teams — to win a game.”

The results are TBD, but the Patriots did invest serious resources in both their present and their future so far this offseason. Multiple cornerstone players such as safety Kyle Dugger, offensive tackle Michael Onwenu and, most recently, defensive lineman Christian Barmore signed multi-year contract extensions. In addition, quarterback Drake Maye was selected third overall in last week’s NFL Draft.

There is still work to be done, though, including taking care of Judon himself long-term. Both sides seem interested in reaching a contract extension, but even if the two sides cannot find a common ground before the start of the season one thing is clear.

The Patriots will be getting a motivated Matthew Judon in 2024.