Patriots' Bill Belichick reflects on what makes an offseason award winner
Many of the members of the New England Patriots have put in the work over the offseason, and a dozen players were recognized for their efforts. David Andrews, Ja'Whaun Bentley, Chris Board, Myles Bryant, Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Mac Jones, Jabrill Peppers, Cole Strange, Brendan Schooler, Matthew Slater and Deatrich Wise were the offseason program […]
Many of the members of the New England Patriots have put in the work over the offseason, and a dozen players were recognized for their efforts.
David Andrews, Ja'Whaun Bentley, Chris Board, Myles Bryant, Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Mac Jones, Jabrill Peppers, Cole Strange, Brendan Schooler, Matthew Slater and Deatrich Wise were the offseason program award winners, ESPN's Field Yates reports.
When asked about what makes a offseason award winner, Belichick stated everything that goes into making the decision.
"We take input from all the coaching staff members," Belichick said. "The strength staff, conditioning, on the field, meeting rooms, classroom, leadership, so a little bit of everything."
"Kind of nominate the guys and pick the ones that we think are most deserving," Belichick added. "There’s a lot of guys that had great offseasons. I wouldn’t limit it to our offseason award winners, but they stood out."
And one winner who is looking to have a breakout season after struggling in his second-year is Mac Jones.
Jones was the NFL’s top rookie quarterback in 2021 under the direction of former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He had 352 completions for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns.
However, with McDaniels leaving to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 and Matt Patricia become the main play caller for the Patriots, Jones took a serious step back. He appeared in 14 games, having to sit out for an injury, and threw for 2,997 yards (288 completions) and 14 touchdowns.
He has put in the work over the spring and summer and Belichick praised Jones' effort.
"Yeah, he had a good offseason, really good," Belichick said prior to Tuesday's Training Camp session. "That’s why he was recognized. On and off the field, participation, production, yeah."
Jones' teammates have commended his leadership during the offseason, expressing confidence in their quarterback. With Bill O'Brien calling plays and Jones competing with a chip on his shoulder, this could be a big year for the third-year quarterback and he is looking to prove why he earned that offseason award.
Featured Image via Sophie Weller – A to Z Sports
