FOXBORO, Mass. -- Mac Jones was removed from the Patriots injury report Wednesday, meaning Bill Belichick really had nowhere to hide Thursday. New England's head coach had to either confirm that Jones will start Sunday's road game against the New York Jets, or leave open the possibility for performance, rather than health, to result in rookie Bailey Zappe getting a start at MetLife Stadium.
Plus, ESPN's Field Yates on Wednesday definitively reported that Jones will start against the Jets.
So, how did Thursday's news conference go? Well, Belichick offered some clarity on the matter, but he still found a way to leave the Patriots' quarterback situation shrouded in mystery.
"Mac took full workload yesterday," Belichick said. "I expect him to be fully available here for the game and ready to go. That's really it for that."
That means Jones will start in New York... right? At this point, we still weren't totally sure.
A reporter then asked whether Belichick had to inform Jones that he'll start or if it was understood given his practice workload.
"Yeah, I talked to all the quarterbacks," Belichick said. "So, everybody knows where we're at."
OK, but where are you at, Bill? Is Jones starting or not?
"That's what I just said -- he's gonna have a full load."
Alright, Jones is starting. Got it. Not a ringing endorsement, but it was progress.
But what about beyond Week 8? Is Jones entrenched as the starter or could Zappe still take his job?
"You're gonna give me a bunch of hypothetical situations, and I don't know what those hypotheticals are," Belichick said. "So, I'm not going to get into that."
After an extended back and forth with Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston, Belichick added: "We'll take it from here. Don't keep trying to trap me into stuff down the future because today's today."
So, this thing will remain a thing for the foreseeable future. Wonderful.
It's worth watching Belichick's presser in its entirety to gain a sense of his vagueness. You can check it out in the video below.
The Patriots will practice Thursday and Friday before traveling Saturday. They'll face the Jets on Sunday afternoon in an AFC matchup with huge implications for both teams.
Kickoff from MetLife Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
