Bill O’Brien, the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, has conveyed a positive message to Mac Jones, despite the quarterback being benched in favor of Bailey Zappe.
While it appears unlikely for Jones to reclaim the starting position in the remaining two weeks of the 2023 season, O’Brien believes in Jones’s future in the NFL.
Following Zappe’s impressive performance in a recent win against the Denver Broncos, O’Brien expressed confidence in Jones during a video conference.
Despite Jones spending the last four games as the backup, O’Brien praised his intelligence, hard work, and teamwork.
O’Brien acknowledged the challenges that come with ups and downs in a player’s career and commended Jones for approaching the situation in the right way. O’Brien firmly believes that Jones will be just fine and has a promising future.
Jones has one more year left on his Patriots contract, but considering the struggles in the past two seasons, a fresh start elsewhere seems to be the best option for both Jones and the team. The possibility of both Jones and head coach Bill Belichick staying with the Patriots in the upcoming offseason seems unlikely.
Bailey Zappe, who replaced Jones in Week 13, has been inconsistent, but his recent standout performance against the Broncos showcased improvement.
O’Brien highlighted Zappe’s calm and poised demeanor but noted his lack of experience. While Zappe is gaining valuable experience, O’Brien emphasized the importance of not discounting the significance of experience in a player’s career.
Despite the Patriots’ 2-9 start with Jones at the helm, they have achieved a 2-2 record in Zappe’s four starts. O’Brien acknowledged Zappe’s consistency and ability to capitalize on the opportunities to gain valuable experience in both practice and game situations.
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