You no longer need a tin-foil hat to wonder whether there was real tension between Mac Jones and Bill Belichick this season.
The signs were there in late October, when Belichick alienated Jones before, during and after the Patriots' Week 7 home loss to the Chicago Bears, which came at the height of "Zappe Fever." And they were there Monday morning when Belichick refused to back Jones as New England's quarterback of the future.
So, what's the deal? Why has Belichick changed his tune so drastically after fawning over the 24-year-old quarterback last summer?
NFL quarterback-turned-analyst Chris Simms offered some insight during Tuesday's episode of NBC's "Pro Football Talk Live." According to Simms, Jones, distraught over the state of the Patriots' struggling offense, sought counsel from outside the building -- a move that didn't sit well with Belichick.
"Mac Jones wasn't happy," Simms said. "He was telling people he wasn't happy. He was calling people about, 'Hey, can you help us with ideas and do stuff like that?' From my understanding, Belichick found out all these things. He found out that Mac was talking to people, and all this, and there was some back-channel conversations going on behind Belichick's back. And I think that's where it did get personal."
Co-host Mike Florio added: "And Belichick made Mac Jones aware of it, too, as you might imagine -- which is why it stopped."
The Patriots now find themselves in a tricky situation.
Multiple reports indicate Jones has full support among Patriots players, some of whom still are upset over Belichick's handling of the Bailey Zappe situation. And that's just one of the multiple examples of Belichick potentially not commanding as much respect in the locker room as he once did.
The outrage might've been effective, as Belichick reportedly is ready to make major changes to New England's offensive coaching staff. But is that what he truly wants to do, or is Belichick now in a position where he must cater to the will of players led by an aggrieved young quarterback?
Ultimately, the most likely scenario is the Patriots emerge from the offseason with Belichick as their head coach, Jones as their top quarterback and somebody other than Matt Patricia running the offense. But this storyline remains worth monitoring in the weeks and months ahead.
