Patriots: All signs point to a change in Mac Jones and Bill Belichick's relationship

A lot has been made of Mac Jones and Bill Belichick's relationship in recent months, citing the struggles and failure of last season as the root of the tension between them. Some argue the feeling isn't new for the head coach, as rumors have suggested he never wanted to draft Jones as the Patriots' next quarterback. However, he was forced to because he fell in their lap in the first round.

Whether or not there's much to truth to that is yet to be seen, but it has been apparent that the unpleasant 2022 season had taken a toll on the entirety of the team, if not mainly on Belichick and Jones.

Because it has remained a hot topic and the media hasn't had the chance to ask the quarterback about the rumors, they made sure to question him immediately when he spoke with reporters after the first training camp practice.

Jones was asked how he would characterize his relationship with Belichick after last year's frustrating season. He emphasized having a fresh start, which he mentioned before, and learning from the past to have a better working relationship.

"No, I think we're good. I think the biggest thing that we've all talked about is just having a fresh start. I think there's a lot of learning experiences from last year that we've talked about and this year, it's all about just working together, right? You've got to come up with a plan, obviously talk about it, and then execute it. So, I'm excited for that part of it. "

He went on to speak about himself as well and what he's trying to implement in his training and attitude moving forward, exclaiming his excitement for a new season with a new team around him to learn from.

"For me, I'm just trying to be really consistent, try not to ride the wave, just stay my course and hopefully, everybody on our offense feels that, too. I think Coach O'Brien does a great job laying out what we do well so far, and we're going to learn every day what we do well and then from there, you just keep moving forward and execute the plan. So, I'm definitely excited for that."

The dynamic between Belichick and Jones will undoubtedly remain a highly debated topic, just as it was with Tom Brady and Belichick, and it will likely dominate even more conversations now that training camp has begun.

All eyes will be on the pair throughout the summer and the upcoming season, watching to see if they can get back to a healthy and trusting working relationship that is needed to succeed in the NFL.

The good thing is that so far through the offseason, there has been a dramatic change in attitude from the team compared to just one year ago. The excitement level and optimism have been felt for months, which may play a big part in how the rest of the year goes.