One of the best parts of Bill Belichick's tenure with the Patriots was how well he was able to keep things in-house whenever there was a problem behind the scenes. No matter what was going on, it was rare for anything to be leaked beyond the Gillette Stadium walls, which is exactly how most franchises wish they could run.
It was one of the more universally liked aspects of the Belichick era and has become increasingly missed during the first season without him on the sidelines, especially since Jerod Mayo has opened the door for players to speak their minds to the media and on their social media accounts.
To an extent, that isn't a bad thing, and emphasizing his open-door policy just shows he's hoping to develop good relationships with his players. But a negative effect of that has been that players feel comfortable venting their frustrations online, creating chaos in the headlines for the team to constantly deal with.
That has been plaguing the Patriots 2024 season thus far, with more shenanigans happening after their latest loss this past Sunday. And because of that, at least one player has taken a stand against his teammates' actions and is not interested in seeing it continue further.
Jonathan Jones is not here for Patriots teammates' social media nonsense
During an appearance on WEEI on Tuesday, Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones spoke about his teammates' constant social media postings and how that's impacting their 2024 season.
Because he is from the Bill Belichick era and because he's one of the more disciplined players on the team, he expressed his disinterest in seeing it continue and spoke about how it negatively impacts the team no matter what is said online, as it is a representation of everyone in their locker room, good, bad, or indifferent.
#Patriots CB Jonathan Jones on his teammates’ social media use:
— Carlos Talks Pats (@LosTalksPats) October 22, 2024
“I don’t think there’s any space where running to social media after a game — whether win, lose, or draw — that it really does anything good for you… When you speak you’re speaking for the whole team and not just… pic.twitter.com/bFoRDXDDS0
Emphasizing how players need to realize their words' universal impact on their teammates is a strong message that needs to be heard by those who think airing their grievances online is better than speaking about it to their coaches, especially when their posts become headlines for days after.
That has been the case for almost every Patriots receiver this season, with Javon Baker, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, Ja'Lynn Polk, and Tyquan Thornton taking to their Instagrams or making questionable comments to the media this season.
It has created a cloud of negativity around the locker room and brought up some unfair judgments of the roster and the coaches, mainly Jerod Mayo. They're already dealing enough with their struggles on the field, so adding even more issues to overcome is not exactly what the team needs now or later.
Hopefully, this will also be a conversation in the locker room since many players need to lay off their phones and focus on the task at hand. It's always better to keep that kind of stuff offline, and the coaching staff might need to emphasize that, even if Mayo claims he doesn't mind it.