Bill Belichick, Mac Jones deliver the right message following Isaiah Bolden’s injury
Isaiah Bolden suffered a scary injury during Saturday's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. The rookie cornerback was loaded onto a stretcher and carted off after colliding with teammate Calvin Munson and appeared to suffer an apparent head injury. Following the game, Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Mac Jones were asked about the […]
Isaiah Bolden suffered a scary injury during Saturday's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
The rookie cornerback was loaded onto a stretcher and carted off after colliding with teammate Calvin Munson and appeared to suffer an apparent head injury.
Following the game, Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Mac Jones were asked about the situation.
“We’re all saying a prayer for Isaiah,” Belichick said. “We just released a statement. That’s all the information, the updated information we have. I appreciated the way the league handled it. I think that was the right thing to do.”
“We’ll regroup and talk about the game later. That’s kind of where things are for right now. Competitive game, competitive week, good week against Green Bay,” Belichick added. Unfortunate what happened there at the end. Hopefully, Isaiah will be alright. That’s really about all I got.”
Here's everything Mac Jones said in his post-game press conference:
"Yeah, we're doing all right. I think that was definitely tough to see (Isaiah Bolden) go down like that and just hard to kind of realize the whole situation. And we're all together and I think Slater did a great job explaining it to the team. Just how you can't take anything for granted. Just want to be there for one another. Want to be there for him, his family."
"I've known him since high school. We played 7-on-7 football together so definitely one of my brothers, but sounds like he's doing a lot better, you know, from what they're telling us, so that's awesome."
"I'm very fortunate to play with him in 7-on-7 football when I was high school or just a young guy, and he's just a physical, tough football player, and just hope that he's okay. I know he's going to do whatever he can to be back. And he's done a great job coming in this year and just trying to play really tough defense. And he's done a great job and yeah, just tough. Knowing that I've known him for so long and knowing that he's just this ultimate competitor."
On the coaches and officials deciding to cancel the game
"I think it's probably the right move to do that. And just everything revolves around him and how his family's doing and all that stuff, so they felt like we weren't in a good headspace. Nobody was on either side of the ball. So, obviously that's above all of our pay grade, but we did decided and Slater and coach and everybody and the other team just thought it was probably better just to hang it up for the night and just try to come together really as a team and really just think about him and his family."
On traveling to Nashville and helping the team continue to be positive:
"I think hopefully it'll just continue to be positive with the updates that we get and honestly just continue to come together as a team. I think we've done that this week during the practices and I feel like there was a little bit of camaraderie and things like that. And I think that we just need to try to carry that over and let these tough times just keep building us up. And obviously hope the (Bolden) is okay and we get positive updates and just trying to keep plugging along as best we can, but definitely tough."
On the decision to suspend the game
"I think it's important, just as people right, beyond the game of football. Just understand that we all love each other and we're all here doing something that lots of people would love to do, and to see somebody and especially your teammate and friends on the ground and just not doing well, it's hard. But I think everybody on that field realized that this game is very big, but there's other things that are also very important, and that's the game of life. And I think the teams realized that I don't think either of us are going to take anything for granted."
On Bill Belichick's response:
"Coach Belichick just really did a good job there talking with Slater and the leadership of our team, and obviously handled the situation. And him and Slater did a great job in the locker room just talking to the team, like he always does. He's great. He tries to bring us together, and it's all real emotion and we really appreciate him and Slater and all those leaders on our team that can just kind of bring us together during a tough time. So, I thought that was smart."
On seeing the stretcher come out:
"It's tough, right? It's not something you want to see every day but all you can do is just pray and hope that whoever's hurt and the situation with (Bolden), that everything's okay. And you think about, for me, I think about my family, right? Some guys think about their kids or whatnot. And that's a tough thing. So definitely just try to pray and realize that freak accidents happen, but it's tough to sit there and just act like everything's okay too. So we're going to continue to pray and that's what we did on the field with Slater too. I thought that was great to do that and come together and just pray."
At the conclusion of his press conference, Jones was asked if he was comfortable answering a football question, but given the situation he declined.
"I'll probably pass on the football… We definitely just want to pray for him and his family, and I do appreciate you asking, but we'll save it for next week."
Featured Image via Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK