Mac Jones’ tumultuous run with the New England Patriots got here to an finish in March when the Jacksonville Jaguars acquired the quarterback in a commerce.
Regardless of serving to carry the Patriots to 1 playoff look and incomes Professional Bowl honors in 2021, Jones’ tenure was largely thought of unsuccessful.
Many have supplied opinions on why the previous Alabama quarterback did not pan out in New England. However certainly one of Jones’ former teammates pointed the finger at six-time Tremendous Bowl winner Invoice Belichick.
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Mac Jones, left, and working again Damien Harris of the New England Patriots have a good time a landing towards the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 19, 2021, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Getty Photos)
Harris spent three seasons as New England’s working again and performed with Jones at Alabama for 2 years.
The working again made an look on “The Athletic Soccer Present” final week and advised that Belichick ought to shoulder a substantial quantity of the blame because it associated to Jones’ shortcomings.
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“What occurred to Mac Jones in New England, was not due to Mac Jones,” Harris mentioned. “What occurred in New England to Mac Jones was due to the actual fact you took away an offensive coordinator who coached him to be a Professional-Bowler and nearly coached us to profitable our division with a rookie quarterback.”
Josh McDaniels was the Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2021. He was named the pinnacle coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in January 2022.
Head coach Invoice Belichick and Mac Jones throughout pregame at Laborious Rock Stadium on Sept. 11, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Photos)
“We drafted Mac. We had a h— of a yr… went on to win seven straight. At the moment we have been type of taking a look at ourselves like we would have a Tremendous Bowl run right here,” Harris mentioned.
Harris then addressed Belichick’s unconventional choice to present Matt Patricia and Joe Choose the keys to the Patriots offense.
“Then you definately take Matt Patricia, who’s coached protection his whole life. Joe Choose, who’s been a particular groups coach… and you then simply throw them in there and say, ‘Hey, coach this child up. He’s a first-round choose, however so long as you train him what I say, every part gonna be advantageous.’”
Harris added that Belichick was “caught in his methods,” which he believes finally performed a job in Jones getting traded.
New England Patriots coach Invoice Belichick earlier than Tremendous Bow LII towards the Philadelphia Eagles at US Financial institution Stadium. Minneapolis. (Simon Bruty /Sports activities Illustrated by way of Getty Photos)
“Now Mac Jones is in Jacksonville… the breath of Mac Jones in New England – it got here and went. It shouldn’t have [gone] the way in which that it went,” Harris continued. “The one purpose that it did was as a result of Invoice Belichick, being caught in his methods, was very a lot so ‘So long as I’m right here. So long as I’m, together with Robert Kraft, the highest canine at this group, irrespective of who, irrespective of the place, what place, the place they coach, no matter, we may have success.’”
After spending his first 9 seasons within the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, the Patriots introduced in 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton in 2020. Harris claimed the choice so as to add Newton to the roster was at the least partly as a result of Belichick’s ego.
“I feel that began type of was this Cam Newton state of affairs… everyone was like, ‘What the [expletive] is that this? Why Cam Newton?’ Invoice thought that he may make it work. It didn’t actually work.”
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Harris signed a one-year cope with the Buffalo Payments in 2023. He introduced his retirement from soccer in March. Regardless of his latest feedback on Belichick, Harris celebrated the truth that he had the chance to play for him within the NFL. He described Nick Saban and Belichick as “the [two] best head coaches of all time.”
“For the previous 20 years, taking part in the sport of soccer has been one of many best privileges in my life,” Harris wrote. “Attending to symbolize the title on the again of my jersey on and off the sector, attending to compete on the highest degree with and towards the very best opponents whereas profitable championships, and being coached by the two best head coaches of all time in Nick Saban and Invoice Belichick are all only a small a part of what God has carried out in my life with the sport of soccer.”
Belichick was the de facto normal supervisor throughout his prolonged tenure in New England. He reportedly had last say over the roster throughout a lot of his time on the Patriots’ sideline. The Patriots and Belichick “mutually agreed to half methods, amicably” in January after 24 years collectively.
Each NFL group with a job opening in the newest hiring cycle handed on Belichick, leaving him with no head teaching gig for the primary time in a long time.
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