Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has mostly kept out of the public eye since he was benched for Bailey Zappe after Week 12.

Jones had been benched in four separate games before the Patriots finally handed the car keys to Zappe in Week 13. Jones went 2-9 to start the season, and Zappe so far has a .500 record in four starts.

Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien painted a positive picture of Jones when asked about the former starting QB on Tuesday during video conference calls with assistants.

“I feel good about Mac Jones,” O’Brien said. “I really do. I think Mac Jones is a smart guy. He’s a very hard worker. He’s really done a good job in this situation here of being a good teammate.

“Look, these are things that happen in the course of a lot of careers, right? You have some ups and downs, and he’s approached it the right way. He’s working hard, and I believe in Mac. I think Mac’s going to be just fine.”

Jones remains under contract for the Patriots in 2024, the final year of his four-year rookie contract, assuming the team doesn’t pick up his fifth-year option for the 2025 season.

Zappe is under contract for two more years, and the Patriots’ current No. 3 quarterback, Nathan Rourke, will be an exclusive rights free agent after the season.

The Patriots should be looking to add their quarterback of the future this offseason, whether that’s through the draft, free agency or a trade. They were in line to pick No. 2 overall until Zappe led the Patriots on a game-winning drive to beat the Broncos on Sunday night. Now, the Patriots are currently slated to pick fourth, potentially taking them out of the sweepstakes for the top two QB prospects, USC’s Caleb Williams and UNC’s Drake Maye.

Jones’ future could be dependent upon who the Patriots’ head coach and offensive coordinator is in 2024. Head coach Bill Belichick’s future with the organization is also reportedly in question.

Jones currently ranks 40th among 41 qualified quarterbacks with a 52.2 PFF grade. Zappe is 36th with a 60.0 mark.