After dealing with the disaster that was the New England Patriots’ offensive coaching staff last season, Mac Jones is looking forward to teaming up with new coordinator Bill O’Brien.
The Patriots quarterback expressed his excitement over O’Brien’s arrival Wednesday in an interview with WBZ-TV’s Steve Burton
“I think we’re all excited for this next year, and it just starts with putting your head down and going to work,” Jones told Burton during a volunteer event at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro South in Brockton. “We’ve got a great group of guys, and it’s all about how you come together as a team — players, coaches, everybody.
“So I’m excited to work with (O’Brien), and I know we all are, and it’s gonna be a great year. We’ve just gotta put the work in.”
Jones struggled in 2022 under the direction of play-caller Matt Patricia and position coach Joe Judge — and reportedly angered head coach Bill Belichick with his handling of that flawed setup. He’ll receive more competent coaching from O’Brien, who has decades of experience calling plays and working with QBs. Jones has not played for O’Brien, but they did briefly overlap at Alabama in 2021.
Belichick’s opinion of Jones has been a hot topic this offseason. The 24-year-old’s name has appeared in trade rumors, and Belichick has declined to publicly endorse him as the Patriots’ starter, suggesting he’ll need to beat out second-year pro Bailey Zappe to keep his job as QB1.
Jones and Zappe both have been training with Patriots teammates in the Foxboro, Mass., area ahead of New England’s offseason program, which kicks off Monday.
“(The offseason has) been good,” Jones told Burton. “I think it’s important to just evaluate everything. Obviously, a day like today, it takes your mind off football and you get to enjoy the kids. But I’ve definitely been giving it a lot, just like every year, and just super excited to get back with the guys here soon and get to work.”
