Mac Jones and Jordan Love have something in common: both had to replace legends of the game. The Alabama product was named the New England Patriots starting QB shortly after Tom Brady’s departure, while the Utah State graduate is taking over for Aaron Rodgers at the Green Bay Packers.
Of course, Jones’ case is not exactly the same as Cam Newton was the first guy the Patriots put under center after their icon walked away. Love, on the other hand, will be the first signal-caller the Packers trust in after losing their franchise QB.
However, Brady still cast a shadow in Foxborough as he left only a year before Jones was drafted. Jones’ advice for Love was “Just continue to grow and be yourself,” and the Packers young signal-caller agreed.
Jordan Love agrees with Mac Jones on mindset while replacing NFL legends
“I mean, I think like he said, the standards have been set from the quarterbacks that have been here before us,” Love said, via NESN. “Obviously, we’ve had some really great quarterbacks here. The standard is kind of set and you’re trying to continue to raise your game until you get to that bar and continue to go past it once you get there.
“I think the standards are there, and you just try to be yourself, play your game. But that’s kind of the goals you’re trying to achieve. With standards, I don’t think it means you have to try and play like somebody else. It’s just kind of what’s been done here, what’s happened in the past. And you can see something that’s been done at a really high level and that’s where you want to take your game to.”
Needless to say, both Jones and Love will be under the microscope this season as both teams will evaluate whether they can count on them for the future. That may be a lot of pressure, which is why both quarterbacks should focus on themselves and not get distracted with the outside noise.