Bill O’Brien Sends Message To Mac Jones Weeks After Benching

Barring an injury to Bailey Zappe, Mac Jones almost certainly will not regain his Patriots starting job in the last two weeks of the 2023 season. But offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien still believes Jones has a future in the NFL.

Two days after Zappe turned in his best performance of the season in a 26-23 road win over the Denver Broncos, O'Brien was asked what message he'd send to Jones, who watched the last four games from the sideline as New England's backup quarterback.

"I feel good about Mac Jones," O'Brien said Tuesday in a video conference. "I really do. I think Mac Jones is a smart guy. He's a very hard worker. He's really done a good job in this situation here of being a good teammate.

"Look, these are things that happen in the course of a lot of careers, right? You have some ups and downs, and he's approached it the right way. He's working hard, and I believe in Mac. I think Mac's going to be just fine."

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Jones has one year remaining on his Patriots contract, so he could return to compete for a spot in 2024. The last two seasons have gone so poorly for the 2021 first-round draft pick, however, that a fresh start elsewhere seems like the best path forward for both him and the team. It's very difficult to envision Jones and head coach Bill Belichick both sticking around this offseason.

Zappe's NFL ceiling remains unclear, and consistency has been an issue for the second-year pro since he supplanted the struggling Jones in Week 13. Sunday's outing was his best yet, though, as he both protected the football and attacked downfield to help the Patriots stave off a Broncos comeback bid.

After a 2-9 start to the season with Jones behind center, the Patriots are 2-2 in Zappe's four starts.

"Bailey's a very consistent guy," O'Brien said. "He's calm, he's poised, he's got that. What he doesn't have is experience. He's gaining experience -- I'm not saying he doesn't have any experience -- but you cannot discount experience and what that means to your career. The more reps you get in practice or the more reps you get in a game, obviously, that means a lot to your career if you take advantage of it, and that's something Zap has done a good job of."

Zappe completed 75.8% of his passes against Denver, including all five of his throws that traveled more than 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. He lost a fumble on the game's opening snap, but none of his 33 pass attempts were deemed "turnover-worthy" by Pro Football Focus.

Belichick on Tuesday complimented Zappe's ball security, clutch throws and handling of the offense in a hostile environment. O'Brien liked the way he moved within the pocket to create plays.

"That's one thing in the game that was very improved by him," O'Brien said. "He was able to negotiate the pocket, manipulate the pocket. It's not always perfect, right? So he does a good job of that."

The Patriots will face the Buffalo Bills (road) and New York Jets (home) in their final two games, then begin the vital process of determining who their starting quarterback will be next season.