Mac Jones is looking to work his way back into everyone’s good graces following a rocky 2022 season.
Last week, the New England Patriots quarterback told reporters he was “going to do everything I can to earn the respect of everybody in this building again.” Discussing those comments with the 33rd Team’s Trey Wingo, Eric Mangini commended Jones for making an effort to turn the page.
However, the former Patriots defensive coordinator also criticized Jones for how he handled adversity and personnel changes last year.
“I like what he said. I like it a lot because I’ve always felt that Mac didn’t appreciate how good a situation he came into,” Mangini said, via NESN. “He had Josh McDaniels, he had Mick Lombardi, a great offensive staff. He had as stable an organization as you could get. He had a team that played complementary football. He came from a program that was similar. It was a perfect situation for who he was. And then Josh McDaniels leaves, he talks about, ‘Oh, I’ve had multiple coordinators. It’s not that big a deal.'”
Mangini, who spent five seasons on Bill Belichick’s staff, addressed Jones reportedly seeking tutelage away from the team.
“There was a little arrogance to the way he approached things,” he continued. “And then he found out how hard it is to win consistently in this league, and how tenuous your position is and that you probably shouldn’t go outside the New England Patriots organization if you don’t like what’s going on.”
Jones followed an impressive rookie season by amassing 14 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and an 84.8 quarterback rating last season. He often showed his frustration on the field and appeared to have some tense exchanges with coaches during games.
Mangini believes Jones has a “longer road” to gaining respect in New England’s locker room. He said the 24-year-old will have to go beyond publicly saying the right thing.