Mac Jones has made plenty of mistakes during his handful of starts with the Jacksonville Jaguars this season, but his most embarrassing one may have come during Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.
The Jaguars had 2nd-and-goal from the 7-yard line late in the second quarter of a tie game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. Jones took a snap and could not find an open receiver, so he scrambled around to buy extra time. He eventually got outside the pocket and had plenty of space to throw the ball away.
For whatever reason, Jones chose to take a 6-yard loss instead. He literally stopped at the sideline, planted both feet, and then stepped out of bounds rather than throwing the ball away.
lol Mac Jones pic.twitter.com/EvRjeygx5f
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) December 15, 2024
Jones was widely mocked over the decision after the play went viral:
Nice work by Mac Jones to bulk up his completion percentage there
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) December 15, 2024
Mac Jones just walked out of bounds after having about 5 seconds to look for someone to throw to. Just throw it away man.. if im an OL on the @Jaguars I’d be pissed about that sack
— trey wingo (@wingoz) December 15, 2024
Does Mac Jones know you can throw it away?
— Shawn (@trilwil92) December 15, 2024
I had to go and check to make sure I hadn’t missed something. Nope. He just stepped out of bounds seven yards behind the line of scrimmage.
— Ben Clapperton (@BenClapperton) December 15, 2024
Jones entered Sunday’s game having thrown five interceptions in his four starts with the Jaguars. The former Alabama star was also known for throwing brutal interceptions during his time with the New England Patriots, but his boneheaded decision on Sunday was arguably more concerning than any pick he has ever thrown.
