New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is not giving anybody an answer, when it comes to the quarterback competition. Belichick recently appeared on Sirius XM Radio and was very guarded in his comments about the quarterback race.
The eye test would say Mac Jones appears to have the starting job once again. He has taken every starting rep at training camp and performed the best so far, per the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan.
However, it sounds like Bailey Zappe and Trace McSorley have also had a strong start to camp as well.
Zappe filled in when Jones was out with an injury last year. The Western Kentucky product performed decently as a rookie, throwing for 781 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions over the course of four games.
McSorley is in his first season with the Patriots after signing a one-year deal with the organization in April. Here’s what Belichick said when elaborating on his thoughts on the quarterbacks:
“Mac’s had a good offseason,” said Belichick, via Callahan. “He was one of our offseason award winners. First in, last out of the building. Really does a good job of knowing, being on top of everything we’re doing so he can lead from the quarterback position, in terms of play-calling and those types of things.
“…They can all run the offense efficiently, they’re all smart. They’ll handle what we do so everyone else can operate efficiently. So we’ll give them a chance to compete and see how it goes.”
Bill Belichick addressed Mac Jones' offseason and the #Patriots QBs room on @SiriusXMNFL. He echoed his previous comments about the QBs competing: "We'll give them a chance to compete and see how it goes."
Of note: Mac's taken every starting rep so far in camp and played better. pic.twitter.com/zd2KKfJpdx
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) July 31, 2023
Belichick is not dismissing anyone out of the quarterback equation.
In some ways, it feels like the same blanket answer he gives to every position on the roster. Nevertheless, it is interesting to hear him speak positively about the backup quarterbacks.
Should Jones go down with an injury, it appears that the backup quarterback position is in good hands. The experience of McSorley combined with the reps that Zappe received last season should make for a stronger quarterback room overall.
