Bill Belichick praises progress of Patriots quarterback Mac Jones

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick hasn’t named a starting quarterback yet, and he’s made it abundantly clear that the announcement will come on his own terms. However, he’s also gone out of his way to praise rookie quarterback Mac Jones, who finished the preseason on a high note.

“He’s put in a ton of work every day,” Belichick said. “I think that has paid off and it’s showed up in the things he’s been able to improve on. If he makes a mistake he learns from it and works hard at it — he works hard in the first place so he doesn’t make mistakes. Maybe he gets it right the first time, which is sometimes hard at that position. His work ethic is very good.”

Although Belichick has given absolutely no indication as to whether he will roll with Jones or Cam Newton in Week 1, the rookie put together a nice preseason and capped it off with his first-career NFL touchdown.

Following Tom Brady’s departure to Tampa Bay, the Patriots signed veteran Cam Newton to serve as the starting quarterback. In that role, Newton threw for 2,657 yards with a 65.8 completion percentage, eight touchdowns and ten interceptions last season.

One year later, the Patriots drafted Jones, Alabama’s national championship-winning quarterback, with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

When asked how long it might take to make a decision on the starter, Belichick wouldn’t tip his hand.

“I don’t have a timetable on that,” Belichick said, when asked how long the transition from competition to starter might take. “I can’t tell you.”

In a follow-up question, Belichick was then asked if he felt the decision was coming soon — perhaps at the end of training camp — or if it was coming prior to the Patriots Week 1 matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I’m not sure exactly how that will go.”

Newton, the Carolina Panthers’ first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, had a Heisman Trophy-winning senior season with the Auburn Tigers and led the Panthers from one of the NFL’s worst to a 2015 Super Bowl team.

Jones, by comparison, took his first and only season as Alabama’s starter in stride, setting an NCAA single-season record with a 77.4 completion percentage, coupled with 4,500 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2020 but ultimately lost to his teammate, wide receiver DeVonta Smith.