Jerod Mayo, the first New England Patriots head coach of the post-Bill Belichick era, is already speaking glowingly of troubled quarterback Mac Jones.
Jones, who has been the team’s lead signal caller since being drafted No. 15 overall in 2021 NFL Draft, was benched four times last season as the Patriots finished 4-13.
Mayo, who the Patriots introduced earlier this week as the team’s replacement for Belichick, indicated that Jones’ work ethic has seemingly already made an impression on the newly-promoted leader in the organization.
“Mac Jones was in there working out,” Mayo said to ESPN. “That attitude, that mentality of changing the page, is something that I hold high.”
Jones was also among the Patriots present for Mayo’s introductory press conference.
ESPN noted that Mayo is going to be open-minded in shaping his roster, both on the field and in the coaching staff.
“Mayo is leaving all possibilities open, saying he is in the evaluation stage at every position, including coaches,” noted ESPN’s Mike Reiss, adding that Mayo said of the quarterback decision looming, “Those guys,” referring to Jones and backup Bailey Zappe, “have things that they can do and it’s about improving and developing.”
Belichick benched Jones four times in the 2023 season, finishing the campaign with 11 starts.
The Alabama alum threw for 2,120 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and his 77.0 quarterback rating ranked 33rd in the league, even behind constantly struggling Jets starter Zach Wilson, who was 32nd.
Jones didn’t see a snap after losing 10-7 to the Giants on November 26 and ended the year as the team’s emergency QB.
Zappe, the Patriots’ backup quarterback, started the last six games of the season.
A fourth-round draft pick in 2022, Zappe has two years left on his contract and his starts led to a 2-4 record, equaling Jones’ win total despite the disparity of starts, though Zappe did appear in 10 games overall, one short of Jones.
In 2023, Zappe recorded 1,272 passing yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing only 60 percent of his passes and having an even worse 68.7 quarterback rating.
Prior to taking New England’s head coaching job, Mayo had been the team’s insider linebackers coach from 2019-2023.
His career in coaching followed a successful run as a player in Foxborough, Mass.
The Patriots selected Mayo with the No. 10 pick overall in the 2008 NFL Draft and he played eight seasons in New England, retiring after the 2015 season.
With the Patriots, Mayo was a starting middle linebacker on the team which beat the Seattle Seahawks in the 2014 Super Bowl.
However Mayo only played six games that year and missed Super Bowl XLIX after tearing his patellar tendon in his right knee which required season-ending surgery.
In his career, along with having a Super Bowl ring, Mayo made two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro Team.
He also took home the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2008.