17 April 2023 , 21:06
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New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft could ‘move on’ from head coach Bill Belichick if the team falter once again in 2023 - even with Mac Jones as starting quarterback.
It emerged that Patriots head coach Belichick has been shopping Jones to multiple franchises throughout the 2023 offseason after the quarterback struggled with his decision to install Matt Patricia - a defensive coach - as offensive coordinator and Joe Judge - a special teams coach - as quarterbacks coach, according to reports. The 2021 first-round pick’s inability to deal with these challenges appears to have cost him support from the coaching staff while he spearheaded the Pats to an 8-9 record.
Jones enjoyed an impressive rookie season where he finished second in the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and was named to the Pro Bowl after leading the Patriots to the playoffs for the first time since Tom Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, he struggled to get to grips with the offense in 2022 as the Pats failed to reach the postseason on the back of his inconsistent play while backed by a poor offensive staff.
Ultimately though, Belichick needs Jones to perform in order to move closer to Don Shula’s all-time win record as his own Hall of Fame career comes to a close. Across his illustrious career as head coach, Belichick has 329 victories (including playoffs) which places him second for the most in NFL history behind Shula’s 347.
According to The Athletic, if the Pats struggle and the record appears unlikely to fall for a while, the franchise could move off Belichick and start a new era. However, if Jones struggles alongside offensive coach Bill O’Brien, the quarterback may find his days in New England numbered.
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Patriots owner Kraft appears sympathetic to frustrations linked to the failed offensive experiment concerning Patricia and Judge. The Patriots struggled on offence in 2022 as they finished 32nd in red zone efficiency, and it led to Belichick refusing to name Jones as the starter ahead of the 2023 season.
Mac Jones was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots (Getty Images)Amid reports of Jones falling out with key members within the Pats organisation - including Belichick - owner Kraft remains an admirer of the quarterback. Speaking to reporters recently, Kraft said: “I’m a big fan of Mac.
“He came to us as a rookie. He quarterbacked in his rookie season and did a very fine job I thought. We made the playoffs. I think we experimented with some things last year that frankly didn’t work when it came to him, in my opinion.”
The Pats could also be open to moving off Jones due to the presence of Bailey Zappe on the roster following his emergence in 2022. After Jones went down with an injured ankle in the Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, backup quarterback Brian Hoyer got knocked out of the game against the Green Bay Packers so Zappe stepped in and impressed in several appearances.
In his first career start, the rookie - selected in the fourth round a year ago - led New England to a crushing 29-0 win over the Detroit Lions in Foxborough and he backed it on the road in a 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns. When Jones was ready to return, many questioned if he should immediately get his job back and the 24-year-old ultimately never relinquished the starting job with fans clamouring for Zappe to return.