FOXBOROUGH – The frustration was at a boiling point for Mac Jones.
Heading into the final game of the 2023 NFL season, the Patriots quarterback was on an island. According to team sources, the communication between Belichick and Jones was nonexistent by this point.
Teammates said Jones worked hard inside Gillette Stadium following his demotion on the team’s quarterback depth chart. He showed up early, worked more in the weight room, and stayed late.
That hard work didn’t influence the coaches. Not only was Jones demoted to third string, but nobody told him. He found out he was inactive when the Patriots released the list 90 minutes before kickoff, according to a team source.
Leading up to this game, the quarterback reps were split differently in practice, but no one on the coaching staff told Jones why and no one told him he’d be the team’s emergency third quarterback.
On the other sideline Zach Wilson, who was drafted the same year as Jones, also lost his starting job. But the Jets had been upfront with their struggling quarterback. The Athletic reported that the Jets told Wilson they were going to trade him in the offseason. According to a source who was on the field pregame, the Patriots quarterback was so bothered by his team’s lack of communication, he told a member of the Jets’ staff that he appreciated how their organization handled Wilson’s situation.
Jones privately lamented to locker room confidants that no one talks to him.
After putting together one of the best rookie seasons for a quarterback in NFL history, Jones didn’t develop like anyone envisioned. The Patriots 2021 first-round pick went from the future of the franchise to a third-string quarterback over three years.
Over the last three months, MassLive spoke to over a dozen sources in and around the Patriots organization to find out where things went wrong. These sources, who spoke anonymously, painted a picture of dysfunction between Belichick and his young quarterback.
“It’s a broken relationship,” described one Patriots source.
Over the last two years, inconsistent coaching and issues with roster building led to universal offensive mistakes and Jones no longer looking like the once-promising quarterback. It came to a head during the Patriots’ disappointing 2023 season. Now Jones’ future with the team is uncertain.
How the relationship started to sour
The situation was supposed to be perfect for Jones.
After playing for Alabama’s Nick Saban, who is both a friend of Belichick and has a similar coaching approach and structure, he seemed like a natural fit for New England. However, the relationship between Jones and Belichick began to sour during his second season.
The downward spiral started when Josh McDaniels was replaced at offensive coordinator by Matt Patricia, whose prior background had been almost exclusively on defense. It was a union that was doomed to fail.
During the season, there were plenty of signs that Patricia’s play-calling wasn’t going over well with Jones. There were public outbursts during games. There were scenes with him throwing his arms up in the air in disgust, and also waving off Patricia after a play didn’t get in on time.
According to a team source, Jones frustration over the insertion of Patricia, and moving to a more Shanahan-based offense was immediate. Before training camp, he showed resistance to changing offensive systems especially after having success with McDaniels. That drew Belichick’s ire.
As the Patriots offensive scheme changed, the lack of continuity contributed to more mistakes on offense around the quarterback position. Jones grew frustrated by the lack of results while Belichick grew frustrated with his quarterback. With players not on the same page, Jones struggled mentally, which resulted in him playing worse.
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When the Patriots offense unraveled this fall, staff members were critical of Jones. Two team sources noted that the quarterback didn’t do enough to call out teammates when things went wrong. The quarterback was described as “happy-go-lucky,” but lacked when it came to leading the group.
“He was part of the problem as far as what he was doing, who he was character-wise. He’s not a bad character guy, but as a guy that wasn’t quite the leader of the group,” one source told MassLive. “He just wanted to be one of the guys.”
After Week 12, when Jones was benched, Belichick eventually stopped speaking to his quarterback. That lack of communication came to a head in the Patriots’ final game.
It created an uncomfortable situation. Jones openly rooted for Zappe trying to show coaches he was handling his demotion maturely. However, behind closed doors, observers noted Jones had little support. It seemed like he was being shut out.
The relationship between Belichick and Jones ended so poorly that sources all but guaranteed Jones wouldn’t be back with the Patriots had Belichick returned. With Jerod Mayo now in charge, the door isn’t shut, sources agreed.
Trying to do more than his job
Jones’ issues were more mental than physical.
According to multiple sources, the mistake-filled Patriots offense led to Jones freelancing, playing outside Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien’s system and ultimately outside of his ability.
One team source said that early film sessions with O’Brien painted a picture of widespread issues. The offensive line wasn’t adequately pass-protecting. The receivers had issues with route running and catching.
One Patriots receiver told MassLive he felt like his position group improved later in the season but noted there were issues to start 2023.
“It’s very new DNA. I feel like it just took time,” the source said, who noted the group “got it together a little too late.”
Another Patriots receiver noted there were things the group could’ve done better to help Jones. However, the quarterback compounded the issues by making errant throws.
As the season went on, Jones was so bothered by the mistakes around him that O’Brien attempted to help the quarterback. Sources said O’Brien’s message to Jones was simple – take solace in the fact that you made the right read and right throw even if the receiver doesn’t run the proper route or catch the pass.
But Jones was taking things to heart, even when he made the right decision and ultimately tried to do too much to correct others’ mistakes. Jones later admitted to a source inside the locker room that he handled it the wrong way.
The problems were eye-opening. Several Patriots players told MassLive they felt badly that the results fell on Jones’ shoulders.
“It’s a team game,” said one starter. “It was hard – especially at the quarterback position. It wasn’t on one person.”
According to multiple team sources, Jones’ biggest downfall was playing outside his comfort zone due to frustration. With receivers struggling to beat man coverage and offensive linemen struggling to pass block, Jones tried to do too much. By playing outside of O’Brien’s play call, the quarterback made things worse.
Things began to boil over in Dallas as the offense struggled during an early season showcase. With the Patriots trailing 21-3 in the second quarter, Jones rolled out of the pocket to his right and threw across his body to Kendrick Bourne on the far left, well beyond the numbers. Bourne snared the pass inches from the turf and somehow converted a first down, but FOX analyst Greg Olsen, who had a 14-year career as a Pro Bowl tight end, was stunned by the decision.
“That’s a risky play there by Mac Jones,” Olsen said. “I mean, they teach quarterbacks from the time they’re small: Do not throw the ball back across the field. Well, Mac Jones does, and...”
Later in the drive, Jones broke that cardinal rule again, and this time the result was more predictable. Jones felt pressure that wasn’t there, fled the pocket to his right, threw the ball across his body toward Bourne — and Cowboys cornerback Daron Bland had an easy pick-six.
“We said you don’t typically teach quarterbacks to throw the ball back across the field. Do you know why? Because of that. That’s usually what happens,” Olsen said.
Jones was playing outside of his skillset and his teachings, and at 28-3, the game was over before halftime. After throwing five touchdowns and two interceptions in the Patriots first three games, Jones had five touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his last eight appearances. The numbers were a drastic change from his rookie season (22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions).
Jones was hurt in Germany
Jones was well on his way to losing his job by the time the Patriots arrived in Germany on Nov. 12. For fans, the tipping point came when he threw an interception to Julian Blackmon in the red zone. That led to Belichick benching Jones before the team’s 2-minute drill against the Indianapolis Colts.
However, unknown to most, Jones was playing hurt. In Frankfurt, Jones suffered a stinger when Tyquan Lewis hit him at 7:56 of the fourth quarter. It caused his right arm to go numb, according to a source.
Six plays later, on the pivotal drive, Vederian Lowe was beaten badly in pass protection, and Jones rushed his throw to Mike Gesicki. Jones threw off his back foot and was easily intercepted by Blackmon at 4:25 of the fourth quarter. As the quarterback ran off the field, his right arm slumped down.
One Patriots teammate, who was on the field for that drive, told MassLive he didn’t know about Jones’ stinger.
The injury, combined with the poor pass protection, led to another embarrassing interception for Jones. When he returned to the sideline, however, he received encouragement from coaches and other teammates.
At the time, Jones went up to and fist-bumped every starter on the offensive line, trying to rally his troops. That’s why Jones, according to a source, was surprised when he was pulled from the game for the Patriots’ final 2-minute drive.
Before Zappe entered the game, the feeling in Jones’ arm and hand returned. After being encouraged by the coaches, Jones thought he was about to go back into the game.
“That was weird,” said one source who was on the sideline.
Despite the injury, Jones took accountability. According to a team source, Jones later admitted his mistake on the play, noting he would’ve been better off taking a sack on that snap.
Personnel issues piled up
Issues on offense were extensive between the quarterback, receiver and offensive line. The problem was exacerbated by issues in roster building. The Patriots inability to build a strong support staff, stout offensive line, and elite pass catchers ultimately hurt their young quarterback.
Those around Jones and the Patriots point to 2022 as the start of the quarterback’s downfall.
The Patriots allowed 28 sacks during Jones’ rookie year. That number rose to 41 in 2022 and tied a Belichick-era high with 48 sacks allowed this past season. The 89 combined sacks are the most allowed in back-to-back years in New England since the 2000 and 2001 seasons.
With no-long term vision on the offensive line, a lack of continuity proved killer. The Patriots started 10 different combinations during their 17 games this season, and those seeds were sown before the ball was snapped.
In 2022, Ted Karras wanted to return, but the Patriots lowered their offer to him in free agency, so he left. Shaq Mason was traded, the team reached for Cole Strange in the first round of the draft and the biggest problem was right tackle, which turned into a revolving door. Over the past two seasons, Isaiah Wynn, Yodny Cajuste, Marcus Cannon, Conor McDermott, Calvin Anderson and Vederian Lowe all started there before Belichick finally listened to conventional wisdom and just moved more-than-serviceable Mike Onwenu over from guard.
Those around Jones wondered how differently the quarterback would be viewed had his receivers caught some of his best throws of the season. Through the first three weeks, Jones was top 10 in the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns.
However, issues were festering with his receiver core.
Jones entered the season without Jakobi Meyers, who’d been his close friend and most reliable target. The Patriots believed they upgraded the receiver position by signing JuJu Smith-Schuster, but a chronic knee injury led to the receiver lacking the same burst. The Patriots also discovered he wasn’t as detailed as a route runner compared to Meyers.
Jones’ supporters openly lamented that Patriots receivers failed to catch some of the quarterback’s best throws.
That included Kayshon Boutte failing to get his feet in bounds in Week 1, Devante Parker dropping a deep ball in Las Vegas, Jalen Reagor dropping a deep ball against Washington, and Smith-Schuster having a pass go through his hands for a game-securing interception against the Commanders.
Issues for the offense only got worse when Kendrick Bourne, who was benched in 2022, emerged as the team’s best receiver and then suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 8.
Two defensive players told MassLive that the Patriots offense didn’t look like it was on the same page in practice. Those issues started early in the fall and didn’t necessarily stop when Zappe took over.
A cloudy future
As a rookie, Jones finished fifth in NFL history with 3,801 passing yards, tied for eighth with 22 touchdowns, and second all-time with a rookie completion percentage of 67.6.
According to one NFL executive, the biggest reason for Jones’ stagnant development stemmed from him having three different offensive coordinators in his first three NFL seasons. On top of that, the Patriots offensive system changed with McDaniels, Patricia, and O’Brien in charge. The source noted what the Patriots did with the offensive coaching staff was a recipe for disaster for a young quarterback.
A source close to Jones lamented that the Patriots inability to keep the same offense for consecutive seasons ultimately hurt the quarterback. The frustration here was that Jones was never given a chance to grow due to the evolving changes.
Once considered the future of the Patriots franchise, Jones’ NFL outlook has changed.
According to sources close to the quarterback, Jones finished the 2023 season in a better spot mentally after sitting and watching games afar.
When Belichick told him that Zappe would start, Jones reacted by watching every NFL game he played in to see where things went wrong. He later admitted his mistakes to those around him and realized that despite players struggling around him, some of his biggest errors were on him for freelancing.
Jones has taken a realistic approach to what this season has meant for his future. The quarterback has even spoken about Geno Smith’s journey and relayed inside Gillette Stadium to one source that his path might be like the veteran quarterback. After struggling in his first two seasons in New York, it took Smith eight years to get another starting job.
Quarterbacks such as Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield have also revitalized their careers. Similar to Jones, Mayfield had four different offensive coordinators in his first four years.
Whether Jones has a chance to get his career back on track in New England is unknown.
According to a source, the Patriots don’t plan on picking up Jones’ fifth-year option. The quarterback has a clean slate with Mayo and could remain on the roster, but the team won’t hesitate to move him if the right deal comes across their desk.
The Patriots are expected to pursue quarterback help this offseason.
Karen Guregian and Chris Mason contributed to this report.