Should Mac Jones play in the Patriots first preseason game?
Zolak, Bertrand and Hardy debate whether or not we should see Mac Jones at all in the first preseason game, which will take place at Gillette Stadium on August 10 against the Houston Texans.
Should Mac Jones play in the first preseason game?

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws a pass during 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Beetle: Based on the way Mac played Wednesday, I wouldn’t play him in the first preseason game.
Zolak: He needs to play. It’s confidence. It’s practice, man. It’s like it’s 90%. Come on. How do you get a plan? I think I play quarterback a little bit. You get to knock the rust off. Games two or three are different when you’re doing competitive practices and joints.
Hardy: Even though we saw some separation yesterday between the two and we’ve been talking about Zappe and the ability to close the gap and maybe put a kernel of thought into the ideas of the coaches should something go south in the regular season. He’s more ready this year than maybe was last year. And there’s plenty people thought he was ready last year. But, you know, we saw Mac emerge yesterday. But it’s not like there’s such a huge gap to think like, oh, yeah, he’s obviously the guy and we can we can just protect him throughout the preseason and not have to worry about it. Oh, no. Mac still has plenty of work to do, and some of that work can’t be done in a preseason game. Why wouldn’t you play him? You’re not dealing with the guy who is across the board 100% guaranteed to be your starter, not only for this season but for like seasons beyond. You’re not protecting the franchise by keeping Mac Jones off the playing field during the preseason. I would argue you would actually be hurting it by not getting him out there and getting him some reps.
Beetle: Do you want Mac Jones to be pushed this pre-season? I assume that’s a yes. I mean, I think we all want that. Has he been pushed yet?
Zolak: Yeah, a little bit, but I haven’t seen it. If you want to talk about numbers.
Beetle: Yeah. Okay. So one of the questions of this is why is Mac seem to be operating with so much confidence in this camp? And I would say it’s simple. Bailey Zappe hasn’t shown anything.
Gillette Stadium: New Beer Hall Has Amazing Field + Clubhouse Views
New England Patriots (and Revolution) fans will have a cool new experience to look forward to for the upcoming seasons. The Patriots unveiled the images for the brand-new Celebration Beer Hall at Gillette Stadium. Kraft Sports Group, in partnership with Anheuser-Busch, explained that this is a state-of-the-art Field-Level premium space. It contains both indoor and outdoor areas.
“Fans inside Celebration Beer Hall will have unprecedented access to watch Patriots and Revolution players as they walk from their locker room through the tunnel before accessing the game field,” Kraft Sports Group explained in a press release. Based on the images that they’ve provided us, seen here, there will be unprecedented potential for selfies!
Here’s What You Need To Know About Celebration Beer Hall
The space will be located in the northeast corner of the field. Ticketholders can cheer on the team from the private 2,000-square-foot outdoor patio or inside the 4,000-square-foot Beer Hall. Fans in attendance are encouraged to be there before and after the game as well. In addition, the layout also includes a 375-square-foot oval bar in the center of the room.
Food will be available inside Celebration Hall, as will be an array of beverage options. Bud Light is the official sponsor of this newest field-level game day space, so expect plenty of Anheuser-Busch beverage options.
In regards to the partnership with Bud Light, Murray Kohl, vice president of sales, New England Patriots says, “Their vision for Celebration Beer Hall was evident from the beginning and we know they are perfectly positioned to create the quintessential ‘want-to-be’ gathering place on gameday and non-gamedays alike.”
“Celebration Beer Hall, with its unique view of the players’ pre-game walk-out and the proximity to the field of play, makes this space unlike any Bud Light activation space in the NFL and MLS,” said Anheuser-Busch.
The Celebration Beer Hall is set to open in September of 2023. They have not announced what the admission costs are: we’d expect them to be rather pricey. In the meantime, here is a first look at Celebration Beer Hall at Gillette Stadium.
Tom Morgan is the executive producer of the award-winning Zolak & Bertrand show. He got his start in radio as the midday intern in 2010 before joining the show full-time in 2014. A graduate of Northeastern University, Tom has been a lifelong sports fan with a passion for Boston sports that continues to drive him to this day. A native of Cohasset, MA, he enjoys spending time with family, his three brothers and his nephews and nieces. He is a coffee enthusiast who is fluent in the language of Seinfeld quotes. Tom writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.