Patriots' Bill Belichick 'Absolutely' Feels Good Starting Mac Jones at QB in 2023

Amid rumors of tension in the building, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick gave Mac Jones a vote of confidence going into the 2023 season.

Speaking to reporters after the second round of the NFL draft, Belichick said he "absolutely" feels good about Jones heading into his third season.

"Yeah, I mean, look, Mac's been our quarterback for two years," he added. "As I tell the team every year, each player, each coach, we all have to re-establish and prove ourselves every year. That's what this league is. That's for all of us—'23 is '23. We'll see how '23 goes."

Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston told WEEI's Jones & Mego with Arcand show earlier this month that Belichick was "really pissed" because Jones went outside of the organization for advice on how to run the offense amid frustration with Matt Patricia calling plays.

On April 4, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Belichick shopped Jones to multiple teams during the offseason.

This led to speculation that the Patriots might be targeting Kentucky quarterback Will Levis in the first round after hosting him on a predraft visit.

"I think he was here because the Patriots think he might slide to them (at No. 14), and then they would have to look at the idea of it," NBC Sports Boston's Albert Breer said. "I think there's a person or two in that building who really likes Will Levis. I think there's people in the front office who really like him."

New England had an opportunity to select Levis in Round 1 when he was still on the board, but Belichick opted to go with Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez at No. 17 overall.

The Patriots did make changes to their offensive coaching staff after the 2022 season. Bill O'Brien was hired as offensive coordinator after spending the previous two years in the same role at Alabama.

Jones had a promising rookie season with 3,801 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 67.6 completion percentage in 2021. He took a step back in his sophomore campaign with 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 14 starts.

New England missed the playoffs last season with an 8-9 record, including losing five of its final seven games. It was the second time in three years the team finished under .500.