In a move that is very unlike what we have come to expect from Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots head coach reportedly told his fellow coaches to go easy on Mac Jones during the 2022-23 season.

“Belichick instructed the coaching staff not to be too hard on Jones last season…If Jones made a mistake or needed to be corrected, instead of yelling at him, the coaching staff generally took a more constructive approach,” wrote The Athletic's Jeff Howe on Friday.

It's interesting, as Jones said during a news conference last season that he wanted to be coached harder.

And he's used to a demanding coach after playing under Nick Saban with the Alabama Crimson Tide. If the sources are correct, it's certainly a bizarre move from Belichick.

Belichick is “used to loudly chewing out Tom Brady in an attempt to set the tone for the rest of the team,” per Howe. “The rationale, Belichick believed, was that if the rest of the players knew Brady was in the coaching crosshairs, no one was untouchable. That ran counter to his approach with Jones.”

It goes without saying that the upcoming season will be a career-defining campaign for the young signal-caller, especially after being benched by his head coach last year.

Sources did tell Howe that they expect Jones to be the Patriots' starter next season, saying it was his job to lose, but of course, Bailey Zappe will be fighting for the spotlight as well.

Mac Jones struggled in 2022, along with the rest of New England's offense, and Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick took action, rehiring Bill O'Brien in January as the team's offensive coordinator.

2023 will be an immensely important year for the entire New England Patriots core, and Jones will be looking to get back to the form he showed in his first season with the team when he finished second in offensive rookie of the year voting.