After the New England Patriots traded Mac Jones to Jacksonville, the former Alabama quarterback hoped to “get the train back on the tracks” with the Jaguars.

A starter from his first NFL game with the Patriots in 2021, Jones lost that position with six games remaining in 2023 season. With one season left on Jones’ guaranteed contract, New England gave up on the quarterback.

Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson also used a train reference when asked if the Jaguars were getting damaged goods with Jones.

“I don’t want him to feel like there’s any pressure on him to perform,” Pederson said while attending the league’s annual meeting this week in Orlando, Florida. “He knows the expectation coming in and what we’re, as a staff, looking for. But, yeah, you’re right, I’m not in the mind of Mac Jones, but you’re a first-round pick, you had an excellent rookie season, and then things kind of didn’t go the way you wanted them to and then you get sidelined a little bit in there and everything feels like it may have gotten derailed. And that’s not who he is, obviously.

“And so part of it, too, is just building that confidence back and letting him go out there and compete where he doesn’t have to be the guy, and just go out there and show us what you’re capable of doing, and that’s the expectation.”

Jones will not compete for the starting job in Jacksonville. In the same draft in which Jones was the 15th selection, the Jaguars made Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence the No. 1 pick. Jones will join C.J. Beathard as Lawrence’s backups.

Pederson said Jacksonville wants Jones to “really give us three quarterbacks you’re going to need, as we’ve seen, as history would say. Our No. 1 thing, though, is to keep Trevor healthy. Our best chance of winning games is keeping Trevor healthy.”

Jones started all 42 games that he played for the Patriots. But with New England sliding toward a 4-13 record in 2023 and the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Jones spent the final six games on the bench.

In his first NFL season, Jones completed 352-of-521 passes for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The Patriots posted a 10-7 record and went to the playoffs. Jones finished second in the voting for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and played in the Pro Bowl.

In his second season, Jones completed 288-of-442 passes for 2,997 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. New England finished out of the playoffs at 8-9, and Jones missed three games because of an ankle injury.

In his third season, Jones completed 224-of-345 passes for 2,120 yards with 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Josh McDaniels served as New England’s offensive coordinator in Jones’ rookie season. When McDaniels left to become the Las Vegas Raiders’ coach, Jones worked with former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as his playcaller in his second season as the Patriots played without a named offensive coordinator. In 2023, New England brought in Alabama offensive coordinator and former Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien to run its offense.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.