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It appears that New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has lost support from the coaches and front office at the Patriots building, according to recent reports.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer shares that Jones rankled head coach Bill Belichick and last year’s offensive staff with the way he handled adversity during the 2022 season.
Some of the adversity faced by Jones was due to Belichick’s decision to install Matt Patricia, a defensive coach, as offensive coordinator and Joe Judge, a special teams coach, as quarterbacks coach. While there is plenty of blame to go around, Jones’ inability to navigate these challenges appears to have cost him support from the coaching staff.
Reports emerged last week that Belichick had “shopped” Jones to multiple NFL teams throughout the 2023 offseason, adding further fuel to the fire.
Despite having a solid rookie season in 2021, Jones’ performance declined in 2022, which have contributed to the Patriots’ lack of faith in him.
The Baily Zappe Factor
One player who appears to have impressed the coaching staff is fourth-round pick quarterback Bailey Zappe. Zappe shined when Jones got hurt, winning both his starts.
The incumbent staff felt that a big reason for Zappe’s success was that he followed the coaching, and the staff adjusted the offensive plan to fit his strengths. They also tried some concepts built to get Zappe playing fast by eating up easy yardage and used those same concepts for Jones. The coaching staff ultimately felt that the difference between the two quarterbacks wasn’t “massive”, according to Breer.
Belichick’s showed shockingly little public support for Mac Jones this offseason, and that was before the recent shopping reports emerged. When offered the chance to name Jones his starter for the 2023 season, Belichick declined to do so.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Mac Jones and the Patriots. However, these reports suggest that his future in New England may be in doubt, and the Patriots may be looking for a new quarterback to lead them in the upcoming season.