NFL News: Mac Jones speaks about the Patriots' future amid trade rumors

Mac Jones made an impression in his rookie NFLseason with the Patriots, but it’s safe to say he took a few steps back in his second year. In 2022, New England’s offense had serious struggles which proved costly, as they missed the playoffs.

Last season was particularly tough for Jones, who at some point lost the job to Bailey Zappe. In the last few weeks, the Alabama product made headlines after a report claimed he was shopped by Bill Belichick to multiple teams.

Whether those rumors are true is uncertain, but the Patriots did make moves to improve their offense. With the hiring of Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator, Jones looks optimistic about next season.

Mac Jones excited for next season with Patriots despite trade rumors

“I think we’re all excited for this next year, and it just starts with putting your head down and going to work,” Jones toldSteve Burton of WBZ-TVrecently,as transcribed by ZackCox of NESN.com.

“We’ve got a great group of guys, and it’s all about how you come together as a team — players, coaches, everybody. So I’m excited to work with [O’Brien], and I know we all are, and it’s gonna be a great year. We’ve just gotta put the work in.”

Of course, the arrival of O’Brien is great news for everyone at the Patriots’ offense. The experiment of Matt Patricia at the OC duties went horribly wrong, but now we’ll see if that was it.