The Patriots are not looking for quarterback upgrades yet, as they remain committed to Mac Jones heading into his third year.
When appearing on the Rich Eisen Show, New England Patriots insider Tom E. Curran stated that the Patriots are not involved in the quarterback carousel this offseason.
Curran also stated that quarterback conversations would wait until 2024 if the Patriots have another mediocre season, but now they are committed to Mac Jones.
The team’s owner, Robert Kraft, recently publicly expressed his belief in Mac Jones. While appearing on Cavuto: Coast to Coast on the Fox Business channel, Kraft was asked whether or not the Patriots would have made a run at Tom Brady in free agency if he did not retire. While Kraft expressed his love for and belief that Brady could still play at a high level, he also made his feelings known about Jones. Kraft had this to say: “We are blessed to have a great young quarterback in Mac Jones as our quarterback. I’m a strong believer in him and his development.”
After the Matt Patricia disaster last season, New England hired Bill O’Brien as their new offensive coordinator to further prove the team’s commitment to their young quarterback. O’Brien and Jones had previously worked together at Alabama.
Kraft also spoke on the decision to hire O’Brien and how he and head coach Bill Belichick discuss the team’s future and current direction.
“If things aren’t going the way I’d like, we meet in private, have our discussions, and make changes. It’s something we’ve done this year. I’m very happy that we were able to bring in a new offensive coordinator to help develop our young quarterback. I think bringing in Bill O’Brien has been a big plus for our franchise. That was done with full cooperation with coach Belichick, and I’m very excited for our team for next year.”
The Patriots and Mac Jones need redemption in 2023
The Patriots’ 2022 season was disappointing, to say the least. After a promising rookie season with quarterback Mac Jones in 2021, things were looking positive for New England’s future; however, when the team hired Matt Patricia, a defensive coach, who would take the role of offensive coordinator, but not the title, for the 2022 season, things were as disastrous as they sound.
New England’s offense had regressed so much that their red zone scoring percentage had decreased from 63.08 percent to 42.22 percent in just one year. They went from being ranked seventh for red zone scoring percentage in 2021 to dead last 32nd in 2022.
Jones’ playing had also regressed, whether down to injuries or the offensive staff. In the 17 games he played in 2021, Jones recorded 3801 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, and 352 completions on 521 attempts. Compared to his 2022 season, where he only played in 14 games, he recorded 2997 passing yards and 14 touchdowns and had 288 completions on 442 attempts. One of the many criticisms of last season was that Jones was not allowed to throw the ball down the field, even though he proved on many occasions that he was more than capable. It made fans and critics wonder if the Patriots had any confidence in their second-year quarterback.
With quarterback trade rumors looming over New England, Kraft has confirmed that, as of right now, Jones is the Patriots’ quarterback of the future. With a new offensive coordinator in 2023, the Patriots and Mac Jones will be looking to redeem themselves and show well-needed improvements from last season.
