Mac Jones raised eyebrows in early December when he publicly asked to be coached harder by the Patriots.
Well, New England’s reported lighter approach with its starting quarterback might have been by design.
According to FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna, coaches on the Patriots’ 2022 staff were given an instruction on how to deal with Jones. The reported order came on the heels of an apparent issue the 2021 first-rounder dealt with in his rookie season with New England.
“A team source told me that ahead of the 2022 season, coaches were instructed not to be too hard on Jones in an effort to protect him from being too critical of himself,” McKenna wrote. “There had been an issue in 2021 with Jones struggling after getting yelled at, per the source. That source also suggested, in hindsight, it might have been a mistake to go easy on the quarterback.”
This report probably should be taken with a grain of salt, as it goes against the standard philosophies and tactics Bill Belichick has employed since taking over as Patriots head coach in 2000. Furthermore, New England coaches didn’t appear to be too concerned about Jones’ psyche during the height of “Zappe Fever” in Foxboro, specifically on that Monday night in late October against the Chicago Bears.
Regardless, Patriots coaches are in no position to take it easy with Jones this summer. In fact, Jones might receive a heavy dose of tough love heading into his third NFL season, as new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien doesn’t hesitate to sound off on his players.
