We know that Baily Zappe has been in New England working out with other Patriots players this offseason. We know that Tyquan Thornton, Christian Barmore and Matthew Slater also have been in Foxboro in recent weeks.
But what about quarterback Mac Jones, the franchise’s most important player?
Team broadcaster Scott Zolak made headlines for some of his comments during Tuesday’s episode of “Zolak & Bertrand” on 98.5 The Sports Hub. The former NFL quarterback questioned Jones’ offseason commitment in a manner that made some wonder whether he has inside knowledge.
“I just hope he’s in the building,” Zolak said. “You know, laying claim to what should be his, the way he should look at it. He shouldn’t want to give this backup (Zappe) an inch. Like, he should be here installing with (offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien) every day. ‘This is the offense, we’re installing it, let’s get going. I’m just gonna do it 1-on-1 with you. Hey, Billy, what are you doing? I’ll be in at 7, you got time at 7? Let’s go over things for a couple hours.’
“We’re not getting a lot of noise from that end of it. And normally, I think we would with all the connections. … My God, how many videos did we get a year ago?”
Is this a big deal? Probably not — for now.
Consider this note shared Wednesday by Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard:
Offseason contact is expressly prohibited between players and coaches until at least the start of voluntary workouts on April 17. Even then, offseason work with the coaches can’t being until the third week of the voluntary offseason. Jones can receive a playbook — if it’s even ready — and text with O’Brien a little bit, but that’s about it. And the Patriots definitely adhere to those rules.
The Super Bowl just concluded. February and March are a chance for the players — and coaches — to recuperate after a long season. The players with families and children in school here, they often go to the facility to work out, but that’s it. Single guys like Jones go to their home base, often in warming climates, and work out with their trainers. Jones started with his trainer almost immediately after the season.
As Bedard mentioned, Jones has been working out with a trainer this offseason. A video from one of the sessions was shared on Feb. 10, and a closer look reveals that Jones was at the Boch Ice Center in Dedham, Mass. So, he at least has been in the area.
As for players such as Zappe, Thornton and Barmore, they likely just have been using the weight room or rehabbing injuries. Again, they can’t work directly with coaches or go over the playbook.
None of this is to say that there aren’t reasons to worry about Jones’ standing with Bill Belichick and other Patriots coaches. Team owner Robert Kraft clearly is sold on the 2021 first-round pick, but Belichick has been non-committal when asked about Jones and reportedly grew upset with him during the season.
Plus, some NFL insiders haven’t ruled out a trade involving the Alabama product.
There’s no doubt that Jones will be under a ton of pressure next season in what could be a make-or-break campaign for the 24-year-old. He did nothing in 2022 to prove he’s a capable franchise quarterback, even though many of the struggles weren’t his fault.
But questioning his work ethic and commitment to the franchise that drafted him probably is taking things a bit too far.
