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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick might need a bigger rebound season than quarterback Mac Jones does.
Boston Globe writer and Patriots insider Ben Volin articulated that in a column on Tuesday, July 11. Jones is “apparently is a lot tighter with” Patriots owner Robert Kraft than anticipated and “that could be trouble for” Belichick, Volin wrote.
Jones attended what The New York Post called an “intimate” party in the Hamptons hosted by Kraft and his wife over the July 4 weekend, according to Volin, who based his assertion on an Instagram post from retired Patriots star Devin McCourty that featured a selfie of himself with Tom Brady and Jones.
“Jones appeared to be one of the few, if not only, current Patriots to get an invite,” Volin wrote. And Jonathan Kraft, team president and son of Robert, “passionately defends and protects Jones.”
As for Belichick, Robert Kraft’s statement on the team speaks volume. According to Volin, Belichick’s six Super Bowl and nine appearances over two decades might not carry enough weight anymore.
“Robert Kraft already made it clear in March that he wants the Patriots to make the postseason and win a playoff game for the first time in five years. He also paid Jerod Mayo handsomely to keep him off the coaching market and likely views him as the team’s coach-in-waiting,” Volin wrote. “And Belichick’s friends have privately said they are worried that he is on the hot seat in 2023.”
Bill Belichick Needs Mac Jones to Succeed in 2023
Belichick arguably will need a big season from Jones along with a substantial playoff run to secure his job for 2024 and beyond. However, Belichick indicated an openness to winning with a different quarterback, according to Volin.
“It’s why this spring, Jones spoke about a ‘fresh start’ and ‘earn[ing] the respect of everybody in this building again.’ It’s why Belichick wouldn’t even say Jones’s name during several media availabilities this spring, and when he eventually did, it was only to praise Jones as a hard worker, ‘like all players that are in here every day.’ Nothing about how great Jones is as a quarterback, or how ready he is to take off in his third season,” Volin wrote.
Jones has a shot to bounced back from a subpar sophomore season where he threw for 2,997 yards and 14 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions. The Patriots added wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki, and the team could do more in free agency with DeAndre Hopkins and/or Dalvin Cook available.
Why the Krafts Really Want Jones to Flourish
Volin identified why the Jones has such a connection with the Krafts already despite a limited track record of success.
“One answer could be that the Krafts want Jones to succeed to help their own legacy,” Volin wrote. “They had mud on their faces when Brady skipped town and they had no succession plan at quarterback.”
The Patriots turned to free agent quarterback Cam Newton in 2020 with Brady gone, and Newton couldn’t produce like his former MVP self. New England then drafted Jones in 2021, but his solid rookie season runs the risk of being an anomoloy depending on how 2023 and beyond plays out.
“If Jones can lead the Patriots back to prominence, the Krafts will look like geniuses again — men who have the secret sauce for picking quarterbacks and building stable, winning franchises,” Volin wrote. “But if Jones flops, we can add the Krafts to the list of those who were propped up by Brady’s unexpected greatness.”
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