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Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones highlighted one of the top areas he’s hoping to improve in his third NFL season: having more fun on the field.
“That’s one of the things this offseason that I put a lot of thought in to — just enjoying the game,” Jones said Thursday after the Patriots’ eighth training camp practice.
“I feel I need to do that better — just try to lead the team more so from the mental side. Obviously, the plays and the physical stuff is there. I’ve always kind of been a fun person — hopefully people agree, that’s why people like to play with me. I just have to be consistent there. I feel like sometimes if I’m not consistent, you can tell.”
It showed at times in 2022, when Jones’ emotions on the field and on the sideline overflowed during the Patriots’ 8-9 season.
Jones has said that the 2023 season, under new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, is a fresh start for him and a chance to regain the trust of everyone in the Patriots’ organization. One of his mottos has been: “I’m going to run my own race and hopefully everyone will follow behind me.”
That has manifested itself on the field at training camp, where Jones is the clear-cut starter and there have been spontaneous dances after touchdown passes to veteran receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
“Honestly, Mac pulls up and we just make up new dances as we go,” Smith-Schuster said. “That dude — he’s a spark in our offense. It starts with him, and we kind of all feed off it. When he’s having fun, we’re having fun and the confidence level is through the roof.”
Jones added: “Putting in the work is the most important part, but we have to have that juice every day.”
Jones also pointed out that having fun on the field starts with winning, which is a result of players doing good things consistently.
He did more of that as a rookie in 2021, starting all 17 games and completing 352 of 521 passes for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. That earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl as an alternate.
But his second season, which coincided with coach Bill Belichick revamping the offense and assigning longtime defensive coach Matt Patricia to carry out his vision as the playcaller, was a step back. Jones missed three-plus games due to a high-ankle sprain and finished 288-of-422 for 2,997 yards, with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Jones also was fined twice by the NFL for unnecessary roughness and once for unsportsmanlike conduct.
As part of turning the page in 2023, Jones was named one of the Patriots’ 12 offseason award winners, helping him enter training camp with positive momentum.
“That’s something I’m trying to work on, trying to stay the course,” he said. “But at the same time, have fun. And when bad things happen, accept it and move on.”