Former New England Patriots star linebacker Ted Johnson couldn’t believe his ears in regards to reports of Jack Jones talking back to coach Bill Belichick.
Jones reportedly talked back to Belichick after he allegedly failed to follow his injury rehab plans, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Per the report, both Jones and Belichick did not see eye-to-eye, and Jones was suspended for the rest of the 2022 season. He last appeared in a game on December 12 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Johnson played for Belichick for five seasons and was shocked to hear about Jones being combative with the head coach. He explained why he believes times are changing in New England, when weighing in on the incident, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston’s Darren Hartwell.
“That’s amazing,” said Johnson. “The ecosystem is so different now. That’s an amazing story to me. Like, you’re a rookie, and you’re going toe-to-toe with Bill in a meeting?
“He’s just lost some of his cache, it feels like. They don’t respect him the way they used to. And for rookies to be challenging Bill like that in front of everybody is unbelievable to me.”
The coaching staff was challenged quite a bit this season, most notably following the Thursday night matchup with the Buffalo Bills on December 3. Kendrick Bourne called out the offensive play-calling, as New England lost by a 24-10 margin.
Things need to change for New England in 2023 with the Patriots entering a crucial season. One has to wonder if the pushback will reach a boiling point.
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