FOXBORO, Mass. — It's a whole new season for New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.

And that's exactly what he needed after last season, which saw Jones take a serious decline following his rookie season. 

So with the focus on having a better year and getting the Patriots back in the win column, Jones has shifted his mindset to help him accomplish that feat. 

And that new mindset is not as complicated as one might think. 

So what is it? 

The answer: Jones is just looking to have fun. 

"That's one of the things this offseason that I put a lot of thought in to – just enjoying the game,” Jones said. “I think it’s good to have fun, but at the end of the day, we’re all here working, putting in the work is the most important part, but we got to just have that juice every day. I feel like it comes from the leader and the leaders of the team, so you just have to go out there and have fun.”

Jones led the Patriots to the playoffs in his first season, being the NFL’s top rookie quarterback in 2021. However, Jones took a step back in his second-year, appearing in 14 games and threw for 2,997 yards (288 completions) and 14 touchdowns. 

In comparison, this was over 800 yards and eight touchdowns less than he threw his rookie season. 

So to make football fun again, Jones has one thing on his mind: winning.

“It always stems from winning, right. And to win, you have to do a lot of really good things consistently all the time. I feel like I need to do that better and just try and lead the team, more so from the mental side and all the side and all that stuff,” Jones said. “And for me, I’ve always kind of been a fun person, in my opinion. Hopefully people will agree. That’s why people like to play with me because we like to go out there and have fun and compete.”

Jones is already off to a solid start, being named one of 12 offseason award winners. He is also earning high praise from his teammates, being commended for his leadership and enthusiasm. 

“So just trying to stay the course, but at the same time, have fun," Jones said. "And then when bad things happen, just accept it and kind of move on."

Featured Image via Sophie Weller – A to Z Sports