FOXBORO, Mass. -- Last week, Bill O'Brien wouldn't mention Mac Jones by name during his first media availability since rejoining the Patriots.
And while he flipped the script Friday, O'Brien did nothing to quiet rumors about a possible quarterback competition in New England.
O'Brien met with Patriots reporters ahead of New England's media event for first-round pick Christian Gonzalez. Predictably, he once again was asked for his thoughts on the franchise's quarterback situation.
"Really good," O'Brien said of the Patriots' QB room. "You know, Mac Jones, he's worked really really hard this offseason. Been here every day. We just started working last week ... and that's been good. A lot of good meetings. A lot of good give and take.
"Bailey Zappe, same thing. Really, working very hard. Good guys. Really good guys that care about the team, care about winning, care about doing what's best for the team, which has always been the mantra here. And those guys have really done a good job of that."
Soon afterward, O'Brien was asked whether there will be a quarterback competition in New England this offseason. He offered a largely boilerplate response, neither confirming nor denying the speculation.
"I think everything we do here is always based on competition," the Patriots offensive coordinator said. "That's been the same that it's been for 23 years, including all the years that I wasn't here. And everywhere I've been, whether I was working for Nick Saban or Bill Belichick, or when I was a head coach, everything is earned in the meeting room and earned on the practice field.
"That's the way it's always been. ... I think every year is different. Every year is new. The best players I've ever been around in this league always have the mantra that they're gonna earn it every single year. And I think that that's a big deal."
Finally, O'Brien was asked about the possibility of New England taking a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. He mostly dodged the question, saying he prefers to "concentrate" on the players who already are in Foxboro.
Ultimately, all signs point toward Jones being the Patriots' top quarterback in training camp and beyond. But so long as Belichick, O'Brien and others leave a sliver of doubt, this storyline will persist.
