Patriots HC Belichick Discusses Mac Jones Relationship, QB Battle with Bailey Zappe

The New England Patriots enter the 2023 season with Mac Jones their presumptive starting quarterback and Bailey Zappe the backup, but head coach Bill Belichick told reporters Tuesday that everyone is competing for their roles, including the signal-callers.

"Everybody's out here competing. All 90 guys. That's what we're all here for, to compete," Belichick said, per ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith. "Everybody's out here competing. Everybody's out here competing. That's what everybody's doing."

When asked about his relationship with Jones specifically, Belichick didn't provide much clarity, responding, "I think my relationship is good with every player."

Throughout the 2022 season, Jones was often seen voicing his frustration with the offensive coaching staff from the sideline during games, but he confirmed last week that he's on good terms with Belichick.

Jones said, per NFL.com's Nick Shook:

"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. 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 Alabama product put together an impressive rookie season in 2021, completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in 17 games as New England finished with a 10-7 record and clinched a postseason berth.

However, the 2022 season was rough for the New England offense headed by a combination of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge.

Jones led one of the most inefficient offenses in the NFL, and his numbers took a hit as a result. He completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 2,997 yards and 14 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 14 games.

The Patriots finished the 2022 campaign with an 8-9 record, missing the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

New England is expected to have a better offense this season with the addition of Bill O'Brien as offensive coordinator, and Jones will likely get every opportunity to maintain the starting role despite Belichick being noncommittal on his status as QB1.