FOXBORO — As if the 2023 season hadn’t gone poorly sufficient for Mac Jones, he was demoted yet another time within the Patriots’ Week 18 loss to the Jets.
Jones, who started the season because the Patriots’ beginning quarterback earlier than being moved right down to No. 2 on the depth chart in Week 13, was immediately inactive because the staff’s emergency third quarterback on Sunday. Bailey Zappe began with Nathan Rourke, who joined the staff previous to Week 16, was second string.
The transfer was not a serious shock primarily based on how follow reps had been divvied up in the course of the week, in line with sources. The quarterbacks didn’t discover out who was going to be Zappe’s backup till inactives had been introduced earlier than the sport, nonetheless. Head coach Bill Belichick stated after Sunday’s sport that Rourke had an excellent week of follow.
Jones, who hasn’t spoken to the media since Week 12, met with reporters Monday in the course of the Patriots’ locker room cleanup.
“Look, I’ve started a lot of games in this league, and I’ve been very fortunate for that,” Jones stated Monday. “I look at it as a positive, being able to stay healthy at the end of the year and finish the year on a healthy note. Definitely a different situation.”
Jones was requested if he considered it as a constructive that he was demoted to 3rd string because it allowed him to complete the season wholesome.
“Just grateful to have played so many games here and started games here,” Jones stated. “It’s different, right? It’s a different situation. It’s tough, but I always want to be able to help the team, whether I’m 1, 2 or 3. And I feel like that’s the valuable lesson is that I’m a team player. Like I said, I have a lot of respect for the guys in this room and I have a lot of close friends that I’ll be friends with for my whole life.”
Jones by no means really opened up throughout Monday morning’s media session, selecting to not immediately reply questions on whether or not he would welcome a change of surroundings or about what he felt like what went fallacious in what was anticipated to be a bounce-back season.
He did supply up that he was in a position so as to add good weight after Zappe took over because the Patriots’ starter within the last six weeks of the season.
“I always take notes, and I’ve gotten a chance to go back and look at my notes from the past three years,” Jones stated. “And there’s numerous issues I can do higher. And there’s numerous issues which might be in my management. But there’s additionally numerous issues which might be out of my management. And I’ve all the time stated that I’m going to deal with the controllables and that’s essential to me. But like I stated earlier, I really feel like I’ve made progress particularly within the final couple of weeks.
“I’ve been here early, left late. A lot of people would have just said, you know, ‘I’m done. And I’m not gonna do that.’ And I’ve worked out hard, put on 7-to-8 pounds of muscle in the last couple of weeks here. So that’s where I’m at right now. And that’s why I’m looking forward to the next opportunity. I know it’s going to come but at the end of the day as a quarterback and a competitor, you’ve got to be ready, right? So I’m gonna be ready.”
When requested why he felt it was essential so as to add muscle and waited till the top of the season to take action, Jones stated he had an opportunity to work on his “own stuff.”
“I’m doing my own things in the weight room, and I’m just getting stronger throughout the whole year. And it’s hard to do that. It’s really hard. But when I talk about my notes and things I’ve reviewed, that’s one of the things that went well,” Jones stated. “So, gotta build on that in the offseason and it’ll help me in my next opportunity, wherever that is.”
Jones does sound open to a return to the Patriots. He’s at the moment beneath contract by way of the 2024 season. The Patriots should resolve whether or not or not they’re going to choose up the fifth-year possibility in his rookie contract that will lock him up by way of the 2025 season. That appears extraordinarily unlikely primarily based on how Jones carried out during the last season season.
The Patriots personal the third general decide within the 2024 NFL Draft. If the suitable quarterback is there, it might be sensible for the Patriots to begin over with a brand new franchise participant.
“I feel like I let people down with my play and a lot of that stuff is in my control and some of it’s not,” Jones stated. “So I’m going to do everything I can for my next opportunity whether that’s here and really just push forward and continue to be Mac. That’s what it’s all about. And don’t let that waver.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com