Patriots Rumors: Mac Jones breaks Belichick’s cardinal rule

The New England Patriots under Bill Belichick are as insular an organization as probably exists in the NFL if not in any other sports team.

Everything stays in-house, or else. Well, that cardinal rule seems to have been breached by second-year quarterback Mac Jones in 2022.

Reportedly, Jones went outside the organization to seek counseling on the Patriots woefully inefficient offense that was managed by two failed head coaches who had little to no experience in offensive coordination. Naughty, naughty.

That’s a NO-NO in New England (and frankly maybe anywhere else, but in New England …) The result is that Jones may be in a doghouse that is about 10 miles from the Patriots’ locker room.

For the New England Patriots, what happens in Foxborough stays in Foxborough

If anyone happens to think Jones is on thin ice, then you are probably right. Not only did the second-year quarterback flop, but this other transgression is New England Patriot-career threatening, as well.

Fox news.com cited Phil Simms on the situation,

"Simms said that Jones had made calls to Alabama for help, of which Belichick soon caught wind… “I do think he was a little bit in the proverbial doghouse with Belichick a little bit because, yes, I was told that he was calling around and trying to ask, ‘Hey, we need some ideas for the offense.’ And word got back to Bill and that was why he was in the doghouse a little bit.”"

“A little bit”? Hardly. There is likely no more insular organization in the NFL if not all of sports than the New England Patriots under emperor Bill Belichick. None.

The team and its coaching staff and executives are literally littered with branches of the Belichick tree. These range from the literal in his coaches to the figurative, in players and personnel management.

If you are or were a “Friend of Bill”, you have an opportunity to return. If not, well … not so much. In fact, seek to enter from outside the tree, and, no need to wait around for a call. It’s not coming.

Now in its defense, when you have the greatest player at the most important position in the history of the sport at your disposal, it’s almost an acceptable foible. Almost.

For 20 years, Belichick had the services of the best of the best, Tom Brady. Brady was simply the all-time superlative safety valve. Mess up the draft? No problem, TB12 was there to make chicken salad out of chicken … bleep.

Now Jones is no Tom Brady.

New England Patriots are victimized by their own insularity

So Jones reportedly sought this “second opinion” on the mess that was the 2022 New England Patriots offense. That’s actually not objectively too egregious an infraction, since the offensive coaching was clueless, but he did so in Foxborough! OOPS!

Jones instantaneously became persona non grata in Foxborough. The only thing preventing Belichick from brooming the QB is likely the fact that he wants to break legendary coach, Don Shula’s wins record.

If Jones exits without signing e.g. Lamar Jackson, it may take three or more years rather than the likely two to accomplish.

Owner Robert Kraft who acquiesced to Brady’s being kicked to the curb seems to want results, but would rather not (it seems) do the same with the supposed “goat” of coaches. Possibly.

Yet, Kraft himself seems to be at the end of his rope with the mediocre coach Belichick has become without the Ace in the Hole, Brady at his disposal.

With all that said, Jones is in trouble. Belichick is ticked off and don’t be shocked if Bailey Zappe (or a rookie?), who may be a better option at QB anyway, beats him out for the top spot.

So the moral of the story is this, if you live in an insular organization and you go outside for advice or whatever, be prepared to be kicked to the curb.

After all, the New England Patriots kicked the greatest player ever to the curb. Why would you be any different?