Mac Jones was happy to see Josh McDaniels land a head-coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders, and he’s confident in the New England Patriots’ ability to replace him.
Speaking Friday with NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry on Super Bowl LVI Radio Row, the Patriots quarterback said he’s not concerned about the state of New England’s offense without its longtime coordinator.
“I’m really happy for Josh and his family,” Jones said. “He has a great family, and he definitely deserves a shot at this thing. I’m happy for him, and he’s going to do a great job. In terms of moving forward, I mean, it’s not my first rodeo in terms of dealing with a new coordinator.
“At Alabama, I think back to all the different guys I’ve worked with. I have a lot of experience with learning a new — we’re going to keep the same system, but new terminology here and there. But I know Coach (Bill) Belichick’s going to have a plan, and I’m looking forward to working, just getting better as a player, regardless of who’s out there with us.”
Alabama employed three different offensive coordinators (Brian Daboll, Mike Locksley and Steve Sarkisian) during Jones’ four seasons with the Crimson Tide. With the prominence of that role often leading to larger opportunities elsewhere — Sarkisian, for instance, got the top job at Texas after Jones’ final season — turnover was the norm in Tuscaloosa.
McDaniels had led the Patriots’ offense since 2013, but Jones said he trusts Belichick’s plan to fill that void. Asked whether there’s a specific candidate he’d prefer, the QB said he has “no preferences, honestly.”
“I just leave it up to Coach,” Jones said. “He does a good job picking the right people, and he’s done that for however many years he’s been a head coach. That’s why I’m really happy to be with him, because he always has a plan. Similar to in college (with Nick Saban) — we always had a plan for when somebody else got hired. We brought somebody in, the relationship builds, you earn the trust and then you can just keep moving forward.”
It’s unclear exactly how the Patriots plan to replace McDaniels, but Joe Judge will be part of that equation. The former New York Giants head coach and Patriots special teams coordinator returned to New England this week under the vague title of “offensive assistant.”
“I know (Judge) is going to be a part of our group, and we’re excited,” Jones said. “I know he has a lot of experience with our system and all that, so I’m looking forward to meeting him. I talked to him a little bit in the (joint) practices in training camp. I don’t know him very well personally or anything, but I’m sure we’re going to talk, and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
The Patriots also lost assistant quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree to McDaniels’ inaugural Raiders staff and reportedly are expected to lose respected running backs coach Ivan Fears to retirement. A report this week from The MMQB’s Albert Breer indicated more assistants could depart this offseason, as well.
These coaching changes come at an inopportune time for Jones, who’s looking to build on a promising rookie season that ended in a playoff berth and a Pro Bowl appearance (as an AFC alternate). He expressed confidence, however, saying he’ll be able to elevate New England’s offense in Year 2.
“I know I have the capability to take the offense to the next level,” Jones said. “It starts with me, and I’m going to. I’m going to trust the coaches, obviously, and learn from them and work together. That’s what it comes down to. I’ve always been a guy that does exactly what the coach tells me to do, and that’s how I’ll always play the game.”
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