According to a new report from Henry McKenna of Fox Sports, the Patriots handled Mac Jones very carefully last season. Reports detail a sensitive side of Mac Jones, with the quarterback not wanting staff to yell at him.

However, towards the end of last season, Jones publicly commented that he wanted harder coaching.

On Tuesday’s Toucher & Rich, McKenna joined the program to discuss more about his latest story surrounding the Patriots starting quarterback.

Parts of conversation abbreviated for clarity.

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  ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 08: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots attempts a pass during the third quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

• What are you hearing about Mac Jones and the Patriots?

  Henry McKenna: Yeah, at the end of 2021, there was an incident where Jones got yelled at, and I don’t think he handled it super well. At least, that’s what a source told me within the team. So, at the beginning of 2022, coaches were instructed to be delicate with him.

  As we saw this season evolve, in early December, for example, we saw Mac Jones publicly say he wanted to be coached harder. If you look at it from a big-picture perspective, that’s a natural evolution, right?

  You’ve got a 23-year-old guy who comes into the league in 2021. He’s got Josh McDaniels. Maybe there was an incident where Mac didn’t get it right. He felt getting yelled at, as young guys tend to do, was a little embarrassing.

• Devin McCourty on Mac Jones: “I think he’s the future in New England. … I think Mac has all the intangibles and all the things you want in a quarterback.” #Patriots pic.twitter.com/sxdjFclshz

  — Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) February 27, 2023

• Henry McKenna: The Patriots being very good at managing situations. If they’re taking it slow with his development, they are thinking about the ten-year trajectory.  

  Fred, you mentioned Zach Wilson, right? It’s easy to spoil the goods in early phases of a guy’s career. Especially if you want to manage them carefully, like a credit to the team. Another example of managing a guy carefully was the ankle injury with Mac Jones this year. And there was some discontent from the Mac Jones side. I heard that he wasn’t psyched about what was going on with Bailey Zappe and what Belichick was saying outwardly.  

  But Jones pushed his way back into the starting lineup in the first quarter [against the Chicago Bears] and threw an interception. It looked like he came back a little too early, and the team was trying to manage that. Mac Jones bit off a little more than he could chew.  

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  FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 24: Mac Jones #10 and Bailey Zappe #4 of the New England Patriots stand on the field prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Gillette Stadium on October 24, 2022 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

• Henry McKenna: It’s possible that this situation was very similar to where Jones psychologically needed a little support, as many guys do at age 22, 23, and 24. And the team was there to give it to him, protecting him from his own ambition.  

  I think they got on the same page at the end of the year, early December, Mac saying, ‘I want to be coached harder.’ Then the Patriots go out and get Bill O’Brien. I’m hearing stuff from Jones’ camp. They are saying they’re optimistic about the addition of O’Brien and that it’s a step in the right direction. We all know Bill O’Brien was once called ‘Teapot,’ right? He’s not afraid to yell at a quarterback. We saw that with Tom Brady.  

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  Jan 31, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots offensive coordinator and new Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Bill O’Brien during media day in preparation for Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

• Henry McKenna: This is an evolution of Mac Jones. And there is a positive outlook looking at where the team’s headed now. And clearly, they have faith in him handling tough coaching. Otherwise, Bill O’Brien wouldn’t be in the building. 

• Full Segment

• Ryan Beaton is a producer for 985thesportshub.com. You can follow Ryan at @ry_beaton on Twitter.

  Follow @Toucherandrich on Twitter, @Toucherandrichofficial and @fredtoucher on Instagram to keep up with the show!

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