Two days after Bil Belichick said the Patriots had “a lot of decisions to make” they made the biggest one of all – the Mac Jones era in New England starts now.
Belichick and the Pats released former league MVP Cam Newton Tuesday, leaving rookie Jones to start the season opener vs Miami on Sunday September 12.
Former Alabama standout Jones – taken with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 Draft – had impressed when going 10 of 14 for 156 yards and a score in Sunday’s final preseason game. And now he gets the keys to the car driven for so long by Tom Brady.
The decision to draft Jones was a sign of clear intent by the Pats to invest significant resources in the most important position in the game. It was no fun for Big Bill watching Brady grab another Super Bowl ring in Tampa while his own team struggled to 7-9 in 2020.
Newton had struggles in his first season in New England – he finished 7-8 as a starter and also battled the impact of COVID-19. It will be interesting to see which team picks him up now (maybe the Cowboys, who have only Cooper Rush behind $40million man Dak Prescott).
Mac Jones odds
As for Jones, online sportsbooks were taking evasive action Tuesday as odds tumbled on any lines related to the Pats rookie.
When betting opened up for Offensive Rookie Of The Year, Mac was a +900 chance with BetMGM. Well now he’s challenging favorite Trevor Lawrence at the head of the market.
Jags rookie Lawrence – the #1 overall pick in the Draft – remains the favorite at either +350 or +400 depending on your sportsbook of choice.
Jones though is now right behind him – as short as +450 in places and best value of +600 with Resorts. Third in the betting is Chicago’s rookie QB Justin Fields along with San Francisco new boy Trey Lance. They are both +750. New York Jets rookie QB Zach Wilson rounds out the top five in the betting at odds of +800.
Offensive Rookie Of The Year Odds
The latest odds to be NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year in 2021 are: