It’s understandable that New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones doesn’t want to talk about the 2022 season.
After all, it saw the former first-round pick in Jones benched for the likes of Bailey Zappe, a former fourth-round pick from Western Kentucky… far from the prestigious Alabama Crimson Tide program where Jones plied his trade.
Jones, for his part, is entering Year 3 under veteran head coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots have also hired a familiar face in Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator.
Given how much success O’Brien has had in New England, Jones is confident in his abilities entering what should be a make-or-break season with the team.
“I mean, for me, it’s just about moving on,” Jones recently said, according to Sports Illustrated.
“I think everyone would agree. I don’t really care about the emotion behind it all. It’s about, ‘How do you have a fresh start? How do you move forward?’ This happens every year. Every player knows there are things that happen in the past years that you wish you had back.
“But at the end of the day, if you’re fortunate, you get to play the next year. That’s where I’m at, and I’m excited to go to work in coach [Bill] O’Brien’s offense.”
Nobody is expecting Jones to become the next Tom Brady, but if he can find a level of consistent play, that would go a long way in helping the Patriots win their first playoff game since the departure of the legendary quarterback who has since retired.