A confident Mac Jones plans to lean on Alabama experience during New England Patriots transition

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones had a successful first season in the NFL. The Patriots selected Jones with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama, and he immediately earned the starting quarterback job, eventually leading the Patriots to ten wins and a playoff berth.

Jones threw for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as a rookie. He earned a selection to the Pro Bowl, and now Jones is looking to carry his success into the second year of his NFL career. Next season, though, will be different for Jones. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has been hired as the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Knowing that the Patriots are about to undergo at least some sort of transition on offense, the young signal-caller remains confident. Part of Jones’ confidence comes from his Alabama days, where he worked alongside multiple offensive coordinators, giving him valuable experience entering his second season with the Patriots.

“Yeah, I’m really happy for Josh and his family,” Jones said, via NBC Sports’ Nick Goss. “It’s a great family and he definitely deserves a shot at this thing, and I’m happy for him and he’s gonna do a great job.

“And in terms of moving forward, I mean, it’s not my first rodeo with dealing with a new coordinator. At Alabama. I think back to all the different guys I’ve worked with and I have a lot of experience with learning a new — we’re gonna keep the same system but, you know, new terminology here and there. I know coach (Bill) Belichick will have a plan, and I’m looking forward to working just getting better as a player regardless of who’s out there with us.”

Jones: ‘I know I have the capability to take the offensive to the next level’

Interestingly, the Patriots could be moving forward without an official offensive coordinator. New England brought in former Patriots assistant Joe Judge, who previously served as the New York Giants’ head coach, as an offensive assistant. Despite reported interest in current Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, that does not appear to be happening at this point.

But, like he experienced at Alabama, Jones isn’t a stranger to changes on a coaching staff, and that should help him lead the Patriots offense next season. Jones was at Alabama for three seasons, and he had three different offensive coordinators, He only started for one of those years, but he still learned from and grew under a few different coaches.

As he gears up for year two in the NFL, Jones is not lacking any confidence.

“Yeah, I think with anything you do, you get more experience and I know I have the capability to take the offense to the next level, and it starts to me and I’m going to,” Jones said.

“I’m gonna trust the coaches, obviously, and learn from them and work together and that’s what it comes down to. I’ve always been a guy that does exactly what the coach tells me to do, and that’s how I always play the game.”