Where Mac Jones stands with the New England Patriots has been questioned this offseason. There were reports head coach Bill Belichick was upset at Jones for seeking outside advice and rumors of the team shopping No. 10. Shortly after, there were reports disputing the idea that Belichick would shop the young quarterback.
To further the chaos, Belichick would not commit to Jones as the starting quarterback, saying everyone will have the chance to play and the team will start the best players.
It all left some confusion about Jones' future with the team and whether the coaches had confidence in the 2021 No. 15 overall pick.
Last season, Belichick praised Jones' work ethic and improvement, saying he made "tremendous strides" and noted that everyone on the team "recognizes how well he prepares." On Friday, Belichick stood by his previous comments, saying he "absolutely" feels the same way about Jones that he did before 2022 training camp began.
"Yeah, I mean, look, Mac's been our quarterback for two years," Belichick said (via ESPN). "As I tell the team every year, each player, each coach, we all have to reestablish and prove ourselves every year. That's what this league is. That's for all of us -- '23 is '23. We'll see how '23 goes."
This is the most promising comment we have seen about Jones from Belichick.
Jones had a solid rookie year, but struggled more in his sophomore season. He now has a new offensive coordinator in Bill O'Brien, a step up from Matt Patricia and Joe Judge's lackluster offense last season.
O'Brien feels confident in who he has to work with under center: "The quarterback room has been really good."
"Mac Jones has worked really, really hard this offseason," O'Brien continued. "Been here every day. We just started working [in the voluntary offseason program] two weeks [ago] and that's been good. A lot of good meetings. A lot of good give-and-take."
The 24-year-old will have all eyes on him as he enters his third season, needing to prove himself now more than ever.
