Jones sits in a precarious position in New England, as his 2022 performance gave rise to doubts about his ability to be the long-term franchise quarterback.
Jones had a strong first year with the Patriots, leading his team to a playoff berth and earning a Pro Bowl nod for himself, but 2022 was not as promising. He saw a downturn in almost every passing statistic as the offense finished 20th in the league, and he briefly lost his starting role to Bailey Zappe after the rookie initially came in when Jones sprained his ankle.
And therefore, despite there being no official word from the organization yet as to whether Jones will remain the starter, this offseason has been dominated by persistent rumors about coach Bill Belichick shopping him to other teams, the Patriots possibly drafting a QB in two weeks or the team turning to another quarterback on the roster, such as Zappe.
Uche is not the first Pats player to publicly stand behind Jones amid the speculation, as Matthew Judon, Jonathan Jones and the recently retired Devin McCourty have all gone on record saying they believe the 24-year-old can take a step up this year, especially under a new offensive coordinator.
But though he obviously has his own thoughts on the matter, Uche said he recognizes that it’s up to the coaches to make what they believe to be the right choice for the future of the team, and all he can do is trust their expertise and focus on his own preparations for the season ahead.
“At the end of the day, it’s up to coach Belichick to make the best decision for the team,” Uche said. “My job is to be a player. To go out there and do my job. So, leaving the coaching decisions up to them, that’s kind of what helped me focus more.”
So far, the Patriots locker room has appeared to be in agreement that they believe their quarterback still has what it takes, and therefore deserves to remain the No. 1 QB. But despite the public support, the lack of confirmation from the team in either direction likely means outside discussion will continue right up to the start of the 2023 season.