Mac Jones seems to be out of Bill Belichick’s doghouse ahead of the 2023 NFL season.
The Patriots quarterback was frustrated at times during a rocky 2022 season and was even shopped around in potential trades after Belichick became livid with the signal-caller.
But in a press conference Wednesday, Jones said he and the head coach were now “good.”
“I think the biggest thing that we’ve all talked about is just having a fresh start. I think there’s a lot of learning experiences from last year that we’ve talked about and this year, it’s all about just working together, right?” Jones said.
“You’ve got to come up with a plan, obviously talk about it, and then execute it. So, I’m excited for that part of it.”
Jones was not one to hide his frustrations with the Patriots’ lack of success last year during a disaster 8-9 campaign.
With the offense floundering, the 24-year-old reportedly looked outside the organization for help to spark his struggling squad.
In January, Jones told some people he wasn’t happy with his circumstances and reportedly called his alma mater, Alabama, asking for advice without Belichick’s knowledge.
Belichick found out about these conversations, leading to a rift that is now seemingly resolved.
In New England’s losing season, Jones completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 2,997 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions –– a fall-off from his rookie year in which he led New England to a playoff berth.
Bill O’Brien, who was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator from 2009-2011, is returning to the position this season in an effort to rewire the team’s offense and reinvigorate Jones.
“For me, I’m just trying to be really consistent, try not to ride the wave, just stay my course and hopefully, everybody on our offense feels that, too,” Jones said, according to ESPN.
“I think coach O’Brien does a great job laying out what we do well so far, and we’re going to learn every day what we do well, and then from there, you just keep moving forward and execute the plan.”
“We experimented with some things last year that frankly didn’t work when it came to [Jones],” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in March.
“We made changes [this offseason] that I think put him in a good position to excel. I think bringing in Bill O’Brien will work to his advantage.”
Belichick has previously said he won’t commit to Jones as his starting quarterback.