Bill Belichick has noteworthy praise of Mac Jones

Oct 10, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reacts during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

There has been a lot of hype surrounding Mac Jones in his second NFL offseason. Typically, Bill Belichick does his best to temper expectations in a situation like that. The New England Patriots coach is not doing that this time, however.

Belichick was asked on Tuesday how much input Jones has had in building the Patriots’ offense. He took the opportunity to shower the former Alabama star in praise.

“I think Mac’s done a great job. He’s worked extremely hard. He’s got a tremendous work ethic,” Belichick said. “In all areas, I think there’s a dramatic improvement — his physical work and conditioning, working on his mechanics, working on his footwork. He’s understanding of our offense, of opponents’ defenses, of situations, all of those things. He did a great job last year but he’s starting from a much higher point this year than where he started last year.”

You can hear more of Belichick’s comments below:

"In all areas, I think there's a dramatic improvement… he's starting from a much, much higher point this year."

Bill Belichick breaks down how Mac Jones has improved his game during the offseason 👀 pic.twitter.com/Pb0PwvjfbD

— NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) July 26, 2022

Jones was impressive as a rookie last year. His stats — 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions — were nothing special, but he played well enough to lead the Patriots to the playoffs. He is clearly committed to avoiding the sophomore slump.

A recent photo that went viral appeared to show that Jones is in great physical shape. Veteran teammates have also had nothing but positive things to say about him.

It would be a surprise at this point if Jones does not take a step forward in his second NFL season.