Mac Jones apparently went behind Bill Belichick’s back last season and expressed his unhappiness to people outside of Gillette Stadium. Belichick found out, and unsurprisingly, wasn’t thrilled.
Chris Simms added more context this week to the seeming rift between Belichick and Jones this season. On NBC’s “Pro Football Talk,” Simms, who spent one season working under Belichick as a quality-control coach, said Jones sought counsel from friends and mentors around the league who aren’t affiliated with the Patriots.
“Mac Jones wasn’t happy,” said Simms. “He was telling people he wasn’t happy. He was calling people about, ‘Hey, can you help us with ideas and do stuff like that?’ From my understanding, Belichick found out all these things. He found out that Mac was talking to people, and all this, and there was some back-channel conversations going on behind Belichick’s back. And I think that’s where it did get personal.”
Mike Florio added that Belichick was aware of Jones’ surreptitious outreach. “And Belichick made Mac Jones aware of it, too, as you might imagine — which is why it stopped,” he said.
It’s apparent that Belichick’s relationship with Jones soured this season. On Monday, Belichick wouldn’t even guarantee that Jones would be the Patriots’ quarterback in 2023. Instead, Belichick just said that Jones “has the ability to play quarterback in this league.”
Meanwhile, Jones acted demonstrably on the field numerous times, shouting expletives when the offense faltered.
It’s been reported multiple times that Jones enjoys the backing of Patriots players, some of whom shared his frustrations with Matt Patricia and the offensive program.
NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran reports that Belichick is amenable to making changes to his offensive staff. That’s just one step in an offseason that could require multiple parties, including Belichick, to swallow their egos.
