The New England Patriots enter the upcoming NFL season under a lot of pressure and with several question marks.
Bill Belichick’s job might not be safe after all these years, and the same can be said of Mac Jones’.
Jones took several steps back after a somewhat impressive rookie season, throwing tantrums on the sidelines and struggling to move the chains.
However, Patriots veteran WR Matthew Slater still has confidence in him, praising his mental toughness despite having one of the most difficult jobs in the league, according to Patriots beat writer Mark Daniels.
Matthew Slater on Mac Jones:
"He's a resilient young man. Playing quarterback is one of the toughest jobs in pro sports… He's shown a great deal of mental toughness."
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) July 25, 2023
To be fair, the Patriots didn’t put Jones in a position to succeed, either.
Having former Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia in charge of calling the plays on offense was far from ideal, and Belichick’s unorthodox ways only stood in the way of the team.
But even in plus-matchups, Jones looked out of sorts and simply incapable of hitting his receivers in stride.
He’s never been an impressive athlete or the most mobile guy by any means, but he has failed to show any of the traits that made everyone think that he could be their QB for the next decade-plus.
It’s still early in his career, and it’s not wise to count him out so early, and he has a slightly improved receiving corps at his disposal this season.
Even so, this might be a make-or-break campaign for the Alabama product, especially now that he has Bill O’Brien in charge of the offense, and there will be no more room for excuses.
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