Mac Jones is looking svelte.
The Patriots quarterback showed up to OTAs camp with a slimmed-down look that has his teammates raving ahead of his second pro season.
“He’s in the best shape of his life,” receiver Kendrick Bourne told reporters on Monday. “He looks really good. His stomach is gone.”
Jones tossed for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as a rookie and learned some lessons that have him promised for an improved 2022 campaign.
“I just cleaned up my diet,” he said. “I’ve learned more this offseason than I probably ever have about nutrition, sleep, wellness, all that stuff. At the same time, I need to be able to maintain my weight and be able to take hits. There’s a fine balance for every player. I’ve definitely trimmed down on the body fat, and I’ll get a chance to bulk up before the season starts and be able to absorb hits.”
He comes to Patriots camp with a new top receiver in DeVante Parker and will also have a new offensive coordinator as Josh McDaniels left to take the reins with the Las Vegas Raiders. Whether Jones and the Patriots offense will have their plays called by Matt Patricia or Joe Judge remains to be seen.
Whoever it is, the learning curve will have to be steep for Jones, the No. 15-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He started every game for New England last season and returns to an improved AFC East that saw big changes this offseason.
In overhauling his 6-foot-4, 214-pound frame, Jones has signaled to his teammates he’s ready for battle.
“When you’re a rookie, you just don’t know it until you go through it for a year,” Bourne said. “So he’s definitely a lot more in shape than he ever was, just dominating in conditioning. It’s dope to see.”