Patriots HC Jerod Mayo speaks on future of QB Mac Jones

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo spoke during a Monday appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" about the future of quarterback Mac Jones after former New England head coach Bill Belichick pulled Jones from games on four occasions this season. 

"When I think about Mac, he obviously has talent," Mayo said, as shared by Dakota Randall of NESN. "We’re in the evaluation phase. I will say, with that, the confidence of a player is very fragile. Especially these players now — like I’m an old man or something like that — but confidence goes a long way. But as we continue to evaluate as a coaching staff, we’ll see."

Mayo offered his comments after Greg A. Bedard of Boston Sports Journal reported on Sunday morning that "a team source" said that "everyone" within the locker room "is sick of" Jones, a 25-year-old who acted "like a prima donna." It was suggested throughout the fall that at least some New England players wanted Belichick to start backup Bailey Zappe over Jones long before the 2021 first-round draft pick became a full-time spectator after Week 12. 

"All those guys love Bailey, they love Mac," Mayo insisted on Monday. "It’s just, who’s going to give us the best chance to win the game? That’s what it came down to."

Some within the NFL community have openly blamed Belichick for Jones' decline after the signal-caller worked with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels during the 2021 season, assistants Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in 2022, and offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien this past campaign. 

Mayo acknowledged that both Jones and the coaching staff "made mistakes along the way" after Jones earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie. 

"But I think everyone has — there’s enough blame to go around," Mayo added. 

Mock drafts updated by individuals such as Ryan Wilson and Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports routinely forecast that the Patriots will select Jones' replacement in the first round of this year's draft. 

Assuming Jones has little value as it pertains to a possible trade, Mayo may have to soon decide if stashing the third-year pro as a backup for the 2024 season would cause more harm than good to the locker room.