After being named to the Pro Bowl after his rookie season with the New England Patriots, the storied franchise looked like they had their successor to Tom Brady with Mac Jones, and a player who could keep Bill Belichick’s hopes alive of passing Don Shula as the winningest head coach in NFL history.
Unfortunately for Belichick, Jones’ sophomore season in New England didn’t go too well, with the team falling apart on the offensive side of the football following Josh McDaniels’ departure as offensive coordinator.
Jones seemingly took two steps back rather than a step forward, which shed doubt on his future with the Patriots and in the NFL in general.
However, it seems like things might be coming together in New England once again, with the team correcting the offensive coordinator problem by bringing in Bill O’Brien, as Belichick recently praised Jones for the progress that he’s made during training camp via ProFootballTalk.
Bill Belichick: Mac Jones made a lot of improvements in the spring and training camp. https://t.co/bg9MSvrJCB
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 4, 2023
Belichick made it clear that he’s been impressed with Jones’ decision-making and timing throughout training camp, which is obviously a good sign coming from the man who calls the shots on the sideline and who could be coaching for his job in 2023.
With the Patriots having a forgettable 2022 season and the team simply not the same force to be reckoned with since Brady’s departure, Belichick could very well be coaching for his job this year, as team owner Robert Kraft has to be getting anxious.
Things will only be more challenging for the Patriots in 2023 as they play in arguably the toughest division in the league, with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins all considered to be potential playoff teams, if not Super Bowl contenders.
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