Why Hall of Famer still has confidence in Patriots' Mac Jones

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones may not have much value on the trade market this offseason, but Hall of Famer Steve Young explained during an appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Felger and Mazz" program why he still believes the 2021 first-round draft pick can find success in the NFL. 

"I have a lot of confidence in Mac, despite the fact that a lot of people in Boston are probably done with Mac," Young said, as shared by Lauren Campbell of MassLive. "I think Mac, if he can get the proper help and the innovation and the protection, I really believe in Mac, I still do." 

Earlier in the week, current Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver and former Patriot Jakobi Meyers said that he wished New England put Jones "in a better position to win" after the 25-year-old earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie. Specifically, numerous analysts have criticized former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for forcing Jones to play under assistant coaches Matt Patricia and Joe Judge during the 2022 campaign. 

Jones seemingly still hasn't recovered from all that went wrong two seasons ago. 

Young, meanwhile, is familiar with being considered a signal-caller who can't win at the highest level. In total, he posted a 3-16 record with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 1985-86 seasons before that club moved on from a man who would become a San Francisco 49ers legend. 

"I’m not against that Mac might be in a space now where he can’t put it back together," Young added about Jones. "There’s something about how he handled that season ... I remember we had a Monday night game that year, and I caught him for a second, and I just said, 'I’m so sorry. Because as a quarterback who was in Tampa Bay and went 2-14, like, I’ve been where you are and I’m so sorry. And I hope that you can get to a space where this changes.'" 

Jones reportedly "has a clean slate with" new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo, but Chris Mason of MassLive noted in a mailbag published on Friday that "the best thing for all parties would probably be a trade" assuming New England will use the No. 3 overall pick of this year's draft to acquire Jones' replacement.