Patriots CB, former All-Pro shares what he learned from Bill Belichick

New England Patriots cornerback and one-time First-Team All-Pro Marcus Jones spoke recently on the "Eye On Foxborough" podcast. He discussed his biggest takeaway from spending less than two full years with former New England head coach and living legend Bill Belichick.

"I always prided myself in this: No complacency, but he really drives it," Jones said about Belichick, as shared by Lauren Campbell and Karen Guregian of MassLive. "No matter what happens, win or lose, we’re always trying to look for — of course you won’t be perfection, in a sense — making things permanent."

After multiple teams with head coaching vacancies passed on hiring Belichick this winter, NFL insider Jeff Howe of The Athletic suggested that "a growing concern over the coach’s ability to relate to this generation of players" was one reason franchises chose other candidates. Jones, who turned 25 years old this past fall, seemed just fine with how Belichick handled matters related to on-the-field performances. 

"So practicing it so much to where you don’t even have to think about it and just go out there and play and take it one step at a time," Jones continued. "So just his presence and how he talks with film and just dissects things and tries to make it simple for people and it helps a lot. So I really appreciated it."

New England made Jones a third-round pick during the 2022 NFL Draft, and he ultimately was named to the Associated Press All-Pro First Team as a rookie punt returner. However, he suffered what became a season-ending torn labrum during New England's Week 2 loss against the Miami Dolphins this past September and, thus, was recovering as the Patriots became a subject of jokes and a team that finished with a 4-13 record before team owner Robert Kraft showed Belichick the door. 

"I want to give a big thanks to Coach Belichick," Jones added. "All the stuff that he’s done for the organization and community, everything as a whole. He’s the one who ended up seeing things in me and drafting me. So that was a blessing."

Assuming Belichick is willing to let an executive handle personnel and draft decisions, he could land a new head coaching job as soon as January 2025. Jones' comments indicate the 71-year-old can still motivate modern players even in a situation where Belichick may not have the final say regarding his full roster.