Patriots Believe ‘Proof Is In Work’ For Mac Jones; What About Results?

FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots are sticking with Mac Jones as their starting quarterback, with Bill Belichick telling reporters Wednesday that he wasn’t making any changes.

That kind of raised more questions than answers, however.

In recent weeks, the case for New England to end its experiment with Jones as starter has gained more legs. No, not because Bailey Zappe is a better option, but because it has become apparent Jones isn’t a guy who can provide prolonged success at the position. He’s coming off back-to-back benchings, after all.

The Patriots are still hitching their wagon to him, though, with his teammates providing some insight into why they still have belief in the third-year signal-caller.

“He’s been through a lot of adversity in his own way,” Patriots tight end Hunter Henry told reporters Wednesday. “I think the proof is in the work. That guy goes to work every single day, no matter the circumstances, no matter what’s going on around him.

“We’ve put a lot of work in together and we’ve got to rely on a lot of that work. It dates back to the spring, the summer and the times no one was around. I think the daily — coming in and putting everything behind him and still wanting to work, I think that shows a lot.”

OK, so Jones is working hard. Why hasn’t that led to success on the field?

There’s no way for people outside of One Patriots Place to answer that question. It’s clear the 25-year-old has physical limitations, with his footwork contributing to ugly overthrows and his lack of pocket awareness putting him (and the ball) in danger. He’s turned the ball over five times in the last two weeks, with opposing defenses scoring more points than the Patriots offense.

So, tell us again why fans should care about how hard he works?

The NFL is a results-based business, and Jones hasn’t delivered anything but headaches. There’s an argument to be made that the work everyone in Foxboro is raving about could lead to success over time, but that’s the one thing he won’t be afforded moving forward.

It’s time to put up or shut up.