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Coach Bill Belichick made a strong statement when they let Cam Newton leave the New England Patriots franchise this summer. The AFC East franchise opted to stick with an unproven talent in the form of rookie Mac Jones. The Patriots moved quickly to draft Jones as the 15th overall pick during this year’s NFL Draft.

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Jones threw for 4,500 yards with 41 passing TDs as Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide football team won the CFP National Championship title earlier this year. The Patriots shocked the world when they let 2015 NFL MVP Newton depart, placing all their faith behind this young shot-caller.

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One former player believes, coach Belichick did the right thing in promoting a future superstar.

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Rodney Harrison singles out rookie Mac Jones for special recognition

Speaking to the media in a recent interview with the media, former New England Patriots player Rodney Harrison heaped praise on rookie quarterback Mac Jones following his debut in Week 1 of the NFL season.

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“I love the kid. When I sit back and watch him play, he doesn’t look like a rookie. I’m like, OK, this kid can pass the ball 40 times a game if he has to and you don’t have to worry about him. He’s smart, he’s accurate, he doesn’t get flustered.

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“The kid has great pocket presence, and he moves around pretty good. Everybody wants to act like he’s a stiff in the pocket, he’s not, he can move around. I think they found them a steal, I really believe that. This kid’s going to be really good,” Harrison said in a recent conversation with WEEI’s “Merloni & Fauria”.

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Mac Jones-led New England suffered a narrow defeat in the opening week against divisional rivals Miami Dolphins. Despite the loss, Jones showed maturity while in the pocket. He finished the game with 281 passing yards with 1 passing touchdown to his name.

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He will look to build on that display when the Patriots take on the New York Jets in Week 2.

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Daniel Arambur

2,075 Articles

Daniel Arambur is an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, bringing close to a decade of experience across sports media, digital strategy, and editorial operations. He covers trade rumors, game-day matchups, and long-form NBA features, with a particular knack for spotlighting underdog narratives and momentum-shifting storylines. A journalism graduate with a postgraduate certificate in Strategic Marketing and Communications from Conestoga College, Ontario, Daniel blends statistical context with sharp, opinion-led analysis. His professional journey spans content strategy, paid media, editorial oversight, and quality analysis, giving him a rare end-to-end understanding of how sports stories are researched, positioned, and delivered at scale. Over the years, he has worked across SEO-driven publishing, audience growth initiatives, and performance-focused editorial environments, sharpening his ability to balance speed with accuracy and depth. At EssentiallySports, Daniel applies this multifaceted background to NBA coverage that is informed, structured, and reader-centric. Known for his analytical clarity and narrative instinct, he approaches the league with a storyteller’s eye and a strategist’s discipline, consistently aiming to add perspective beyond the box score. Based in Ontario, a city once home to NBA champion Jamal Murray, he harbors a long-term ambition to sit down for an exclusive conversation with the hometown star.

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