Former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones is set to enter his third season in the NFL with the New England Patriots after the franchise selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. The Patriots now want him to step up as a leader.
Jones is the expected starter for New England to open the 2023 season, but Bailey Zappe is just beneath him and will fight to overtake Jones as QB1.
The Patriots have high expectations for Jones as he enters year No. 3. His play can improve, as can everyone else’s, but the main focus is on his leadership abilities.
Mike Reiss of ESPN writes,
“While they aim to put more support around Jones than they did in 2022, Belichick & Co. also want to see him step up as a leader. And they like the idea of Zappe — who was seeing an increase in practice reps by the end of last season — pushing him.”
Bill Belichick won’t hesitate to throw Zappe out on the field and relegate Jones to the bench if he needs to. In fact, he did it last season with Zappe being a rookie.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Jones and other former Alabama players now in the NFL.
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