Ex-Patriot: Belichick 'being stuck in his ways' sabotaged Mac Jones

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) checks with head coach Bill Belichick, left, and senior football advisor Matt Patricia, second from left, during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium. Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-Patriots RB says Bill Belichick 'being stuck in his ways' sabotaged Mac Jones

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Jun 8, 2024 9:02 AM ET

It would have been tough to imagine just two seasons ago that neither Mac Jones nor Bill Belichick would be members of the New England Patriots in 2024.

The team was coming off a 10-7 season and a playoff appearance, and Jones had made the Pro Bowl as a rookie after throwing for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

But both departed from the team this offseason, with Jones looking to revive his career in Jacksonville as Trevor Lawrence’s backup — something former Patriots running back Damien Harris claims is Belichick’s fault.

"What happened to Mac Jones in New England was not because of Mac Jones," Harris said on "The Athletic Football Show." "(It) was because of the fact you took away an offensive coordinator who coached him to be a Pro Bowler and almost coached us to winning our division … It shouldn’t have (gone) the way that it went. The only reason that it did was because Bill Belichick, being stuck in his ways, was very much so, 'As long as I am here, as long as I am along with Robert Kraft, the top dog at this organization ... we will have success.'"

Thank you, New England! pic.twitter.com/3jRygcRDcS
— Mac Jones (@MacJones_10) March 15, 2024

The Patriots traded Jones to the Jaguars in March for a 2024 sixth-round pick, which was used on University of Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton, who will likely compete to be New England’s third-string signal-caller behind Jacoby Brissett and No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye.

Jones’ tenure with the Patriots began to crumble in 2022 when former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left to take the head-coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Instead of bringing in a proven offensive-minded coach, Belichick instead gave play-calling duties to Matt Patricia, who spent the majority of his NFL coaching career on the defensive side of the ball, and Jones took a step back in his development.

Then, Jones somehow got worse in 2023 when Belichick brought back Bill O’Brien to serve as OC, and Jones was benched a handful of times before being shipped off in the offseason.

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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