FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Mac Jones heard the noise. It’d be hard not to when tens of thousands of people are screaming the name of your backup in your home stadium.
Last season didn’t go as planned for the Patriots quarterback. It was a disappointing season that could aptly be described as extremely frustrating for Jones and the team’s offense. In the NFL, you’re only allowed so many chances before your time is up. For this young quarterback, the clock is ticking. He knows that. The people around him are aware as well.
That’s why entering the first day of practice on Wednesday, Jones’ demeanor and attitude has been noteworthy. His teammates have noticed it. Those closest to him have recognized it as well. This third-year quarterback is dialed in and confident as he begins his third NFL training camp.
Of course, he knows he has to prove himself, to his team and to the coaching staff before proving any naysayer wrong.
“I’m going to grind it out and hopefully I can bring a lot of people along with me. That’s the big thing, right? You’re the quarterback,” Jones said on Wednesday. “At the end of the day, when we’re on that field, they need to feel confident in me and I need to feel confident in them. I think that’s built through trust. That’s the big word here for this training camp – trust.
“That’s going to come through trial and error. That’s going to come through good and bad. It’s not always going to be great, so having that positive mindset, staying that course, and running my race and bringing people along with me.”
According to a source close to the quarterback, Jones has been more confident and relaxed this offseason. A big reason for this has been the change with the offense under new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. It’s a situation, the source said, Jones thoroughly enjoyed this past spring in OTAs and minicamp.
After O’Brien replaced Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, the belief from those close to the quarterback is that everyone will get a true sense to see what Jones can or cannot do.
O’Brien is the third offensive coordinator in Jones’ third NFL season, but he admitted on Wednesday he’s excited about his new coach.
“I think it’s great. I think it’s a great challenge,” Jones said. “I always talk about my time at Alabama and fortunate to play with some really good coordinators and crossed paths with (O’Brien) there. Definitely excited. Definitely think we’ve got a lot of stuff we got to work on. I feel like we have a good mojo going on, but it’s the first day and we have to stack days together.”
Ultimately, the quarterback’s 2023 performance could make or break his career.
If Jones succeeds, and at the very least gets back to where he was in 2021, it would increase the likelihood of the Patriots exercising his 2025 fifth-year option. The team has to decide whether or not to pick up that $23 million option next spring. If they do, it’s a clear sign that Jones is in New England for the long haul. If they don’t, Jones will play in 2024 in the final year of his deal, and that would likely be the biggest storyline heading into the season.
For now, Jones is focused on this training camp. He finished Wednesday’s first day going 4 for 7 passing in team drills. The defense clearly won the day, but Jones left the field smiling. That’s been a common theme this offseason. This quarterback is under an immense amount of pressure, but looks like he’s rejuvenated under the lead of O’Brien.
After practice, Jones also said that he felt his relationship with Bill Belichick was “good” and admitted that he’s talked to his head coach about starting anew in 2023.
“I think the biggest thing that we’ve all talked about is just having a fresh start. I think there’s a lot of learning experiences from last year that we’ve talked about,” Jones said. “And this year, it’s all about just working together, right? You’ve gotta come up with a plan and then obviously talk about it and then execute it. So I’m excited for that part of it.”
TRENT BROWN is one of less than a dozen players remaining in Foxborough who have won a Super Bowl ring in New England, and the hulking tackle believes that O’Brien is setting a tone that can help the Patriots return to the top of the mountain.
“I love his attitude,” Brown said after Wednesday’s session. “I think he speaks a language that’ll get everybody fired up and excited to play ball. He just brings excitement and energy to the whole building, honestly. I love him.”
So what can fans expect to see from the offense under O’Brien this fall?
“I think they can expect to see traditional Patriot football,” Brown replied. “(O’Brien) has been here before. He’s bringing an attitude. He’s bringing that back and guys are just excited to play for him and each other.”
After missing the first day of mandatory minicamp in June and not participating in team drills when he did arrive, Brown didn’t miss a beat as training camp opened. He started at left tackle alongside Cole Strange, stayed there throughout the humid practice, and said he felt like he was “ready to go.”
AFTER THE workout Wednesday, Patriots personnel head Matt Groh told reporters why it was so important to land Juju Smith-Schuster in free agency.
“We’re really excited to have JuJu. It’s good to see him out here today. He’s been working,” said Groh. “The guy loves ball. The guy wants to compete, and the guy is tough. So I know we’re used to seeing those type of players at his position around here … I don’t think it’ll be a big deviation from what people around here are accustomed to seeing.”
While the reference was to players like Julian Edelman, Troy Brown, Wes Welker, etc., Groh made sure to note he wasn’t necessarily comparing Smith-Schuster to those former Patriot greats.
“He’s JuJu,” said Groh. “He’s not Julian, he’s not any of these other guys. He’s got the production and the career to stand amongst himself.”
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Modify your username
Please sign into your Pressherald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe.