Ever since Mac Jones returned from a high ankle sprain last October, Bill Belichick has declined to name him the Patriots’ quarterback of the future.
Lately, between his end-of-season press conference in January and annual interview at the owners meetings in March, Belichick has refused to even declare Jones his starting quarterback.
On Friday night, Belichick didn’t change his tune, but the Patriots’ head coach did say he “absolutely” has the same feelings toward Jones as last summer when he offered high praise for the 24-year-old.
“I think Mac has done a great job. He’s worked extremely hard,” Belichick said of Jones last July. “He’s got a tremendous work ethic in all areas. I think there’s a dramatic improvement.”
So, is Jones the team’s starting quarterback?
“Yeah, I mean, look: Mac’s been our quarterback for two years. 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,” Belichick said Friday. “So that’s for all of us.2023 is 2023 and we’ll see how it goes.”
Belichick refused to acknowledge a recent report the Patriots “shopped” Jones this offseason, which league sources indicated to the Herald was old news overstated by the time the report surfaced in early April. Jones regressed last season under Belichick and new lead offensive assistants Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, who have since been replaced in their roles. Friction between Belichick and Jones worsened as the 2022 season wore on, with the team’s unconventional offensive coaching setup and Jones’ behavior being driving factors.
Now, however, the two sides appear set to move on, particularly with new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien in the building. Like Belichick, O’Brien has taken the approach that all players must earn their roles for the 2023 season, including the quarterbacks. On Friday, O’Brien told reporters Jones has “done a good job.”
“The quarterback room has been really good,” O’Brien said earlier Friday. “Mac Jones has worked really, really hard this offseason, been here every day. We just started working (in the offseason program) two weeks (ago), and that’s been good. A lot of good meetings. A lot of good give-and-take.”