Jaguars QB Mac Jones is now auditioning for his next contract

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- When the Jacksonville Jaguars traded sixth-round prime for backmost Mac Jones past offseason, the scheme was for him to beryllium Trevor Lawrence's backup. And he was -- until Lawrence suffered enarthrosis and caput injuries.

But pinch Lawrence retired for the remainder of the season, Jones now finds himself successful an opportunistic situation. The 2021 No. 10 wide prime is successful the past play of his rookie contract, and he will go an unrestricted free supplier successful March. Now, he has the opportunity to put together a coagulated audition for his adjacent statement if he plays well.

"Everybody's trying to play good each crippled and my extremity is to attraction connected this week," Jones said arsenic the Jaguars prepared for Sunday's crippled astatine the Las Vegas Raiders (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS). "I've historically done a really bully occupation of that, and I request to get backmost to playing basal quarterback. That's conscionable the elemental things, going done my reads, taking what the defense gives me, and starring the squad down the field.

"I'm trying to attraction connected the now and the present. ... I understand that this convention is astir opportunity and we person a awesome 1 this week."

Through his first 4 starts, during which the Jaguars are 1-3, and 3 alleviation appearances, Jones has completed 65.7% of his passes for 1,026 yards and 4 touchdowns pinch 7 interceptions.

That's not precisely an awesome resume for the erstwhile first-round prime who fell retired of favour successful New England, spent the last six games of 2023 connected the bench, and past was traded successful March.

But location was a flimsy betterment past Sunday.

During Jones' first 3 starts -- losses to Minnesota and Detroit and a triumph vs. Tennessee -- the Jaguars scored 23 mixed points. Last week against the New York Jets, they scored 25 points successful the loss.

Jones threw for a season-high 294 yards -- the astir passing yards he's had since the 2023 play opener pinch the Patriots -- and led the Jaguars to their first opening-drive touchdown since Week 13 of past season, a span of 19 games.

"What you saw successful the crippled Sunday [shows wherever Jones' betterment has come]: His decision-making, getting the shot retired of his hand, knowing precisely wherever to go, knowing the offense, knowing the way combinations against the defense, conscionable taking different measurement successful that direction," caput coach Doug Pederson said.

"He learned a caller discourtesy this full twelvemonth and now he's getting a chance to spell play and tally the show. Just knowing what we inquire of him -- we're not going to outcry and shriek astatine him -- he tin conscionable spell play and do his woody and lead the shot team."

But Jones besides threw 2 bad interceptions connected Sunday -- the past 1 pinch 37 seconds to play, which ended immoderate chance of a game-tying section extremity -- and self-sacked erstwhile he stepped retired of bounds astatine the Jets' 12-yard statement for a 7-yard nonaccomplishment alternatively of throwing the shot away.

He besides has struggled throwing the shot down the field. Per ESPN Research, Jones has completed 1 of 19 passes for 21 yards pinch 5 interceptions connected throws of 20 aliases much aerial yards.

Jones knows he has to beryllium amended to make his lawsuit for his adjacent team, but he doesn't want to attraction connected 2025 conscionable yet.

"Taking it 1 time astatine a time," he said. "... That's successful the games, that's successful practice, that's everything successful between. I deliberation that's erstwhile I'm astatine my best, conscionable going retired there, having fun, slinging it astir and I'm going to proceed to do that.

"I deliberation sometimes you put truthful overmuch weight connected a definite play successful a game, and really, they're conscionable plays. You can't look astatine it, whether it's the first thrust of the crippled aliases the past drive, you've conscionable sewage to spell retired location and play and do your job. If you do your occupation connected the play, past that's really each you tin inquire for yourself."

Two of the Jaguars' 3 remaining opponents person immoderate of the league's champion defenses. The Raiders rank 12th successful full defense and ninth against the walk and Tennessee ranks 2nd successful full defense and 3rd against the pass. The outlier is Indianapolis, which ranks 28th successful full defense and 23rd against the pass. So if Jones tin play well, particularly against the Raiders and Titans (Dec. 29), it would make a bully impression.

"I don't moreover cognize that that needfully needs to beryllium said," violative coordinator Press Taylor said. "Your resume is your tape.... Everybody wants to do the best. At the aforesaid time, I deliberation guys do a awesome occupation of erstwhile you're in-season, it's conscionable week-to-week. You don't ever really prime your caput up and deliberation astir what's adjacent aliases what happened. If you do that, you're going to autumn behind, and you can't do that pinch the crippled coming up Sunday."

Taylor is the 5th violative coordinator Jones has had successful his 4 seasons successful the NFL, a database that includes protect coach Matt Patricia and typical teams coach Joe Judge arsenic co-coordinators successful New England successful 2022. And while that isn't precisely ideal, Taylor said it besides tin beryllium a affirmative because it exposes Jones to different offenses, installation methods and personalities.

No matter really overmuch longer his enactment successful Jacksonville lasts -- 3 much weeks aliases perchance different twelvemonth if he and the Jaguars are amenable to him staying arsenic Lawrence's backup -- Jones is only concentrating connected enjoying the past 3 games while playing for his hometown team.

"I've been fortunate to beryllium present and made a batch of awesome friendships, coaches and players and group astir the building that I've known for a agelong time, which is benignant of fun," Jones said. "So, I'm going to conscionable decorativeness this point beardown and dream everyone other does the same. I cognize they will."