Mac Jones on Bill O'Brien hiring: It's been normal
After a frustrating 2022 season, New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is hoping the addition of offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will breathe new life into the 2021 first-round pick.
Head coach Bill Belichick hired O’Brien, the former Alabama offensive coordinator, after Matt Patricia and Joe Judge ran the offense last season. Speaking with the media Wednesday, Jones used the word “normal” to describe how things have gone with O’Brien this offseason and through OTAs.
“It’s been really good. It’s been normal,” Jones said, via Pro Football Talk. “I think everything he’s done so far has been really good. I think the communication is the most important part, and trust… It starts with that when you’re with a new coach and he’s done a great job in controlling the room. I feel like everybody is on the same page.
“Just got to continue to do it. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. So, we know that and he’s obviously had great experience in the NFL and at Alabama where I was at. So there’s a lot of good stuff that we’ve talked about. Just looking forward to working with him.”
Mac Jones looking to take step forward in 2023
Jones, 24, took a step back in 2022 after earning a Pro Bowl nod the year prior and leading New England to the playoffs. Under the new offensive coaching regime of Patricia and Judge, Jones threw for 2,997 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on 65.2% passing. With O’Brien taking the reins, Jones is looking for much more success in 2023.
“I feel like for me, it’s just being a sponge,” Jones said. “Whatever quarterback he’s coached, I can learn from — whether that’s Bryce [Young] or Deshaun [Watson], or at Penn State — he has such great experience in this league and in the football world. It’s like a walking dictionary. You just pick his brain and see the game how he sees it and how I see it. And then come together and mesh and create a really good offense.”
Now on offensive coordinator No. 3 in as many seasons, Jones is hoping to build the necessary trust to gel with O’Brien.
“What I took from that is that you learn from each one of them,” Jones said. “You take the really good things and you kind of add that to your repertoire. And I think with ‘QB,’ obviously that needs to happen and we’re going to work toward that. There’s a lot of familiarity, but it’s a new relationship still and we’re just working on that trust. That’s what I care about. I’m very much so a trustworthy person and that’s what we’re trying to build.”