By Matt Stuart | Published | 1 Comment
As former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick remains jobless, an interesting dynamic could be at play. Is it possible that former Patriots starter Mac Jones could be playing football, even perhaps as a starter next season, and his former coach could be sitting at home – jobless?
It is definitely a strong possibility. Belichick, who departed his longest tenured coaching job just a few weeks ago when Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced a “mutual” parting of the ways, remains unemployed – as six of the previously eight vacant NFL head coaching jobs have been filled.
At the moment, just the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders have current head coaching openings. Neither of those teams, to anyones knowledge at least, have shown any interest in the 72-year old future Hall of Fame coach.
In fact, the only team that had a vacancy, and did show interest in Belichick’s services, were the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons interviewed Belichick twice, but ultimately passed in favor of former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
If you had asked any long time NFL fan or insider, which person would come out of their current predicament by landing on their feet the fastest and smoothest – Mac Jones or Bill Belichick, most would have answered with the latter.
But Mac Jones is still rostered, at least for a few more weeks by the Patriots. Although it seems probable that Jones long term future with the Pats, is most likely done.
How both Jones and Belichick arrived at this juncture in their respective careers though is nothing short of brazen pettiness that has torpedoed a once proud organization.
According to several Patriots insiders, Belichick and Jones butted heads often, and quite frankly, just did not get along. It got so bad last season, that Jones sought help and advice from outside the organization. A decision, sources close to the Patriots organization claim, infuriated Belichick.
Many reports out of New England this past season detailed a fractured relationship between Jones and his head coach. The relationship between Jones and Belichick was said to have deteriorated so badly and so swiftly, that Belichick attempted to trade Jones during last years off-season. Only to be stymied by the Kraft family.
That apparently did not sit well with Belichick, who during his tenure as head coach and de-facto GM of the Patriots, always had the freedom to make personnel decisions as it pertained to the roster of the team. However, at least in this one instance, had been undercut by team owner Robert Kraft and his son Jonathon Kraft – the team’s Vice President.
As the Patriots bottomed out into sole possession of last place this season, eventually finishing well out of playoff contention, a rather interesting dynamic between Belichick, Jones and the Kraft family seemed to be brewing behind the scenes.
Jones, despite several benching’s for poor play this season, continued to start each week, even as his confidence and physical mechanics seemed broken. Despite loss after loss and interception after interception, it would not be until after week 12’s performance against the New York Giants, another multi interception game for Jones, that the once promising third year signal caller out of Alabama would be permanently benched.
By then, though, the season was a total gutter wash. The Patriots were merely playing out the string with backup quarterback Bailey Zappe.
Many in New England wondered why Belichick had let Jones continue to start games, that at least on the surface, it looked like Jones was il-prepared to start.
According to an ESPN report published earlier this month, Belichick’s decision to stick with Jones, was not motivated by what was best for the team, but rather, in part, as a “f’ck you” to the Kraft family.
According to one excerpt from that report published by ESPN,
Local reporters asked Belichick and O’Brien whether Jones would be benched; instead, Belichick left him in games, even when it was clear the quarterback was losing confidence.”
“‘A f— you to Kraft,’ a confidant of Belichick’s said.”
That decision may not not be sitting well with team owners and front office executives that have a head coaching vacancy.
It’s one thing to stick with a quarterback who is performing badly, if the coach still believes in that quarterback – even if that belief is misguided. It’s quite another for a head coach to stick with a struggling quarterback simply out of spite and pettiness.
Belichick could have tossed Jones a life preserver when it became clear that Jones was drowning earlier in the season. Instead, Belichick tied a boulder around Jones ankles and watched him slowly sink to the bottom of the ocean.
Whether you like Mac Jones or not, that is simply wrong. You don’t do that to a young player that, by all accounts, has worked hard to try and fix his short comings. Not a single insider in the NFL has questioned Jones’ work ethic or the commitment that he has put in to try and work through what has been some adversity in his second and third seasons in New England.
It seems that Jones only crime was to ask for too much help, from people he trusted that were not getting a check from the Patriots. If that’s all that led to the fracture in his relationship with his former head coach, that is a sad indictment of how small minded of a person Belichick actually is. Belichick may have the rings and the most active wins amongst current head coaches, but he could end up losing in the long run when it’s all said and done.
Many close to Belihcick believe that he planned to retire once he passed Don Shula’s record for most wins in NFL history. Belichick sits just 15 wins shy of that mark. Essentially, if you believe those reports, Belichick is just hanging around until he has the record.
Perhaps the Atlanta Falcons understood that as well. The Falcons may have passed on Belichick’s services, because they felt that he would have bolted once he had the wins record, which might have left the Falcons reeling in a bad way.
Meanwhile, Jones future is also cloudy at the moment.
Jones will enter the final year of his rookie contract next season, unless the Patriots pick up his fifth year option. The Patriots have until May 2nd, to make that decision. It’s entirely possible that Jones could remain with the Pats next season, though the conventional wisdom around the league is that the Patriots will trade Jones during the off-season.
The Patriots new head coach Jerod Mayo seems to have indicated that the Pats will look to draft a quarterback with their third overall pick. That would likely relegate Mac to a backup/mentor roll with the Pats if he were to stay. The Patriots though could elect to pair their newly drafted QB with a more seasoned backup, which could mean that both Jones and Zappe would be traded or released during the off-season.
Either way, it’s hard to imagine that Jones will not land on some team’s roster next season, even if only as a backup. Jones has remained up-beat and positive about his future. Even better, he has remained a professional throughout what has to be a nightmare outcome for the once promising prospect. Jones, at least publicly, has said all the right things. He even wished his old head coach well when Belichick departed.
That should bode well for Mac moving forward. Teams like to see a player handle themselves the way Jones has. It makes it a much easier sell for a quarterback looking to grab a second chance.
The NFL is littered with quarterbacks that have been traded or released by the original team that drafted them, to leave and find at least some success with another organization. Ryan Tannehill, Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, and even Marcus Mariota are examples that a poor beginning can give way to later success.
As the old saying goes, Jones only needs one somebody to believe in him. Just one head coach that thinks that they can turn him back into a successful starting quarterback.
Jones, at least, certainly looks to have the brighter future at the moment as compared to Belichick. This is not to say that Jones will reclaim a starting role with another team. Jones may never start again in the NFL. That is a very real possibility. But Jones should get at least one more crack at it.
As for his old head coach, while it might have seemed unfathomable just a few weeks ago, Belichick’s career as a head coach could be done. Belichick may never get the chance to surpass Shula as the all time winningest head coach in NFL history.
If that is how it all plays out for Belichick, it’s possible that Mac Jones could have the final laugh, or maybe the final “f’ck you” when it’s all said and done.
It’s looking like Belichick might have to sit out a year. He should think about getting a job with one of the major networks He would be good as an analyst