Bill O'Brien reaffirms faith in Mac Jones despite challenging season
Mac Jones is heading into a very uncertain time in his NFL career. After beginning the season as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, he was benched numerous times for Bailey Zappe. And ultimately, he lost the starting role, with Zappe taking over. Under Zappe, the team has showed an increased spark on […]
Mac Jones is heading into a very uncertain time in his NFL career.
After beginning the season as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, he was benched numerous times for Bailey Zappe. And ultimately, he lost the starting role, with Zappe taking over.
Under Zappe, the team has showed an increased spark on offense, and he has now led them to two commanding wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos. Bill Belichick's reaction to Zappe after the win on Christmas Day said a lot.
Now heading into the end of the season with Zappe set to remain as the starter, Jones' future with the Patriots is one of the biggest questions at the moment. However, on Tuesday, offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien took a moment to reaffirm his faith in the third year quarterback.
"I feel good about Mac Jones. I really do. I think Mac Jones is a smart guy. He's a very hard worker," O'Brien said. "He's really done a good job in this situation here of being a good teammate."
"These are things that happen in the course of a lot of careers, right," O'Brien added. "You have some ups and downs and, he's approached it the right way. He's working hard and, I believe in Mac. So I think Mac's gonna be just fine."
Jones is heading into the final year of his rookie deal in 2024, but it is uncertain at this time if that will be with the Patriots or not. At this point, it seems Zappe has at least earned himself another year in New England, and it's expected that they will pick up a quarterback in the draft. So that would leave Jones as the third string if he stays.
The most logical answer would be for the Patriots to either trade him or even release him, allowing for another team to pick him up as a backup.
Jones had a standout rookie season, but declined his second year. And in the third season, it hit the lowest point. In his three seasons, Jones has 864 completions for a completion percentage of 66.1 percent, throwing for 8,918 yards and 46 touchdowns in 42 games played. On the rushing side, he has 117 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.
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He has overcome it all.
