The relationship between Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and returning third-year starting quarterback Mac Jones has been a major talking point this offseason in New England.
Jones is the former No. 15 overall pick who made the Pro Bowl while leading the Patriots to the playoffs as a rookie in 2021 but took a significant step back in his performance and development a year ago after Josh McDaniels departed New England and Matt Patricia led an ill-fated “experiment on the offensive coaching staff. Jones made plenty of mistakes on the field last fall, and showed significant frustration both on and off the field at times.
After the season Belichick would only say that Jones had the “ability to play quarterback” in the NFL. During March’s NFL owners meetings the coach said “everybody will get a chance to play,” opening the door for a potential competition with Bailey Zappe, who played well in fill-in duty for Jones as a rookie last fall.
There were even reports that Belichick had “shopped” Jones in trade talks this offseason.
In his Zoom call with the media following Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft, Belichick said he would not “respond to anonymous quotes,” but did have more to say when asked directly if Jones was his quarterback as of right now.
“Yeah, I mean, look, Mac's been our quarterback for two years,” Belichick said. “As I tell the team every year, each player, each coach, we all have to re-establish and prove ourselves every year. That's what this league is. So that's for all of us.2023 is 2023 and we'll see how it goes.”
Maybe most supportive from Belichick was his response and facial expression when asked if he still felt the same way about Jones now as he did when he offered glowing praise for his young passer prior to training camp last summer.
“He's made tremendous strides," Belichick said late last July. "He did a great job last year, but he's starting from a much, much higher point this year from where he started last year. His offseason work has been significant, and I think everyone recognizes how well he prepares and how much further along he was than a year ago."
Does Belichick still feel that way about Jones?
“Absolutely,” the 71-year-old head coach declared.