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Former Patriots QB talks Mac Jones’ potential in New England

By Sara Marshall

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 30: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots makes an adjustment at the line of scrimmage during the second half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 30, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 30: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots makes an adjustment at the line of scrimmage during the second half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 30, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Mac Jones hasn’t received much public support for his upcoming season with the Patriots, especially from his head coach. But a legendary former New England quarterback recently expressed his belief in Jones as he enters his third season.

When speaking to Brian Barrett on the Off The Pike podcast recently, Drew Bledsoe shared his optimism for Jones’ future as the Patriots’ quarterback, even proclaiming that he believes he can be the franchise quarterback the team has been hoping for.

"“First of all, he’s very well-respected in the locker room and the organization. He works his butt off. He’s not going to overpower anybody, he’s not Pat Mahomes, but within the framework of an offense he can be very, very efficient.I think he can be a franchise quarterback, but they’ve got to make sure that they have the right offense and the right pieces around him in order for that to work. He’s never going to be Lamar Jackson and just go take over a game with his legs, or with his arm strength, but within the confines of the position of playing quarterback, he can be very, very good at that as long as they put the right pieces and the right plan around him.”"

The 2023 season will be watched under a microscope, not just for Mac Jones but for the entirety of the team. Robert Kraft has expressed his disappointment in the lack of success the team has had over the last few seasons and reportedly emphasized his concerns to Bill Belichick earlier this year during their annual end-of-the-season meeting.

The changes needed to improve the offense, in particular, came not long after, seeing the hiring of Bill O’Brien as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and Adrian Klemm as the offensive line coach.

And it appears that Joe Judge has been removed from the offense completely, presumably moving back to special teams where he thrived during his previous tenure in New England. Matt Patricia has also moved on, signing with the Eagles late last week.

All the hires have brought excitement back to Foxboro, especially after last season’s disaster. Bledsoe shared he is curious to see how the team can function with O’Brien back in the fold and believes that Jones is in a much better situation for the season ahead.

"“I’ll be very curious to watch and see how it works with Bill O’Brien this year. I think that’s going to be much better for Mac, but we’ll wait and see.”"

Considering the sheer amount of negativity swirling around Jones and his future, it’s a nice change of pace to see a Patriots Hall of Famer have a positive outlook for the quarterback and the team.

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