'Respect': Patriots QB Mac Jones Reveals Offseason Goal

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is looking to re-prove himself after a disappointing second year in the NFL.

Is it make-or-break time for New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones? Depends on who you ask.

Many would say that heading into year three, Jones needs to perform like he did as a rookie or could be at risk of being moved on. Last season was rough for all involved on the Patriots and maybe none more than Jones, whose working relationship with offensive play-caller Matt Patricia never got going. Jones knows that last season wasn't good enough, and by the sounds of it, he acknowledges that fact.

“I’m going to do everything I can to earn the respect of everybody in this building again,” Jones told the media recently about his offseason goal. This wasn't the first time that Jones spoke about earning respect, as earlier this offseason, in the comments of an Instagram post from his personal trainer Nic Shimonek, the third-year signal-caller wrote, "Consistency and RE EARN THE RESPECT thru work!!"

Yet, as Winston Churchill once said: "Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Jones thinks that the struggles and adversity of 2022 will make him better down the road.

“Sometimes the most confident people come from a year where they might not have been their best. I feel like that’s where I’m at,” said Jones. “Really great people are formed through ups and downs. Some of the learning experiences I had last year will really help. There’s a lot of things I can do better as a person, as a player.”

Jones endured his struggles a season ago, throwing double-digit interceptions, 11, with just 14 touchdown passes as the Patriots offense finished 26th in total yards and 17th in points per game under then-play-caller Matt Patricia.

The Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick have already made their changes following last year's downturn in fortune. The experiment of Patricia and Joe Judge working together to run the offense ended with the return of veteran offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. Patricia has since moved on to the Philadelphia Eagles, serving as a senior defensive assistant, while Judge is still in Foxboro as an offensive assistant.

Now, the Patriots will wait to see if Jones can return to his rookie form when he led the team to the playoffs, throwing for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

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