Patriots Rumors: Handling Of Mac Jones Led To Bill Belichick Departure

In a shocking move, which in a weird way was also what many people expected, the New England Patriots reportedly decided to part ways with Bill Belichick on Thursday.

It's a decision that obviously didn't come lightly, but Patriots owner Robert Kraft clearly believes moving forward without the 71-year-old is what's best for New England. Belichick essentially ran out of time to dig himself out of a pretty deep hole.

Is there anything in particular that influenced the undoubtedly difficult decision, though? Yes, apparently there is.

Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston, who reported in December that this move was coming, crafted his final thoughts and reports on the entire situation Thursday. That's where he dropped this little nugget, which states Belichick's dismissal was tied to his decision making surrounding quarterback Mac Jones.

"Belichick's draft record has been spotty since 2013," Curran wrote. "His return on a record-setting free agent splurge in '21 was meager. Jones' decline from promising (Tom) Brady replacement to literally unusable is, in the eyes of ownership, tied directly to Belichick's coaching staff decisions after Josh McDaniels left."

It isn't difficult to see how Kraft and company could be miffed, as Jones' promising rookie year devolved into a pair of laughably bad seasons. The fact he had three offensive coordinators in three years, as well as a trio of quarterbacks coaches, pretty much paints the picture for you.

McDaniels was able to mold the system around what made Jones effective at Alabama. Matt Patricia, Joe Judge and Bill O'Brien weren't. That's something that has been clear to many, including Jones' teammates.

There's plenty of blame to go around, but a certain few men might be taking the brunt of it.