The Facts: Jones displayed some clear regression in his second season with Joe Judge as his position coach and Matt Patricia as his primary play-caller. But Jones’ trajectory could change in 2023 — or that’s at least what he’s expecting. Mark Daniels of MassLive.com reports a source close to Jones says the QB is “very” excited about the Patriots hiring Bill O’Brien to be their next offensive coordinator.

Diehards Line: Though they were not together for a season at Alabama, Jones and O’Brien crossed paths as the quarterback was entering the NFL and O’Brien was starting his tenure as the program’s OC. O’Brien has said that Jones aided him in learning Alabama’s offense. Daniels reported another source said that for Jones, it will be “nice to start a new working relationship with someone that you already have had the opportunity to work with.” Jones led the Patriots to a 10-7 record as a rookie in 2021 and finished second in AP offensive rookie of the year voting. He completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, good for a 92.5 passer rating. In 2022, Jones completed 65.2 percent of his throws for 2,997 yards with 14 TDs and 11 picks. His passer rating dropped to 84.8.