Mac Jones did better than predicted in his rookie NFL season, leading the Patriots back to the playoffs for the first time in the post-Tom Brady era. Now, however, itās believed that Bill Belichick wants a change at quarterback.
Mike Florio reported Tuesday New England shopped Jones to multiple teams this offseason, something that gave a lot to talk about in the football community. Why would Belichick suddenly give up on him? Is it because he regressed in 2022?
Jonesā second year didnāt go to plan, but it wasnāt so bad that it should cost him the job. So what is it, then? NFL insider Chris Simms revealed Jones did something last season that reportedly angered Belichick.
Rumor: Mac Jones angered Bill Belichick by seeking help behind his back
Simms reported in January that Belichick found out Jones seeked outside help amid the Patriotsā offensive struggles and didnāt take it lightly. This week, Simms revealed that external advice Jones was looking for was from his Alabama coaches.
āOf course Mac Jones must have been frustrated, and thatās what I heard,ā Simms said on ProFootballTalk, via Patriots Wire. āI think I said that early in the season, that he had called Alabama and certain coaches saying, āHey, can you give some ideas to our coaches.ā
āWell, I mean, come on. All of us who pay attention to footballāhow do you think thatās going to go over with New England people if they heard that was happening, right? ā¦Iām sure he was frustrated, but I donāt know if calling Alabama, where the head coach is an ex-assistant of your head coachāitās going to get back. Thatās where he went wrong.ā
If true, one can understand Belichick. Of course, itmust have been frustratingfor Jones to play with such a struggling offense week after week, so maybe he was just trying to turn things around. But going behind the bossās back is not the best way to do so. However, we should take all of thisā including the rumors of Jones beingā with a grain of salt. Only time will tell whether the Patriots are moving on from Jones.
