Asked the question he says he hears more than any other, Mac Jones did not flinch and did not pretend it was new. Has San Francisco ever brought him a trade possibility, even just a heads-up that a team had called?
"I think I'm going to let the Reese's answer that one. I have no comment," Jones joked on the show, before turning serious. "I was kidding. I think this is my number one question that I've been asked."
What followed was less a dodge than a declaration of loyalty. "I love John. I love Kyle, the York family. It's the best organization I feel like that I've played for in terms of just top-to-bottom greatness so far," Jones said. "I don't like leaving good people, and I hope they enjoy having me there, and I'm excited for this year."
He acknowledged the door is never fully closed. "A lot of that was off-season talk, and anything's possible, right?" The trade deadline does not arrive until a little way into the season, he noted, but he tries not to keep up with it. His focus is on getting better. He played decent last year, in his words, and believes he can play a lot better, spending the summer on his technique in hopes it elevates him toward a bigger deal in the future.
Then came the line that doubled as his whole approach. "I always say, be where your feet are, and my feet are in San Francisco, and I like it a lot."
Jones also pushed back on the idea that he is out of the loop. The business, he explained, gets handled behind the scenes between agents and at the combine. "I've been in the loop on everything. The communication is clear, and that's all I care about, to be honest."
Watch the full interview with Mac Jones on The Rich Eisen Show, streaming live on Disney+ weekdays Noon-3PM ET.
Adapted from the original segment on The Rich Eisen Show. How we cover the show.