The majority of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s Wednesday morning press conference was spent fielding questions about the team’s decision to release quarterback Cam Newton, but there was also a little time spent on the guy who beat Newton out for the starting job.
Belichick said he didn’t want to discuss “the details or timing” of the call to go with first-round pick Mac Jones over Newton, but he was willing to talk about what he’s liked about Jones’ play this summer.
“First of all, he’s had a high level of production,” Belichick said. “I feel like he’s been able to show an ability to do things the way we want them done at a productive level. He’s young, I’m sure he’ll continue to learn and grow. We’ll see where that goes. That’s why we drafted him and I think he’s come in and performed at a level that supports that.”
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels echoed those sentiments during his own press conference on Wednesday and added that Jones has been able to learn from mistakes in a way that’s allowed him to avoid repeating them. That learning process will continue in the regular season and no one in New England is likely to spend much time looking backward if Jones shows the kind of growth that his coaches suggested will come in the future.