New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is in great shape as he gets ready for his second season in the league.

Mac Jones certainly had some big shoes to fill with the New England Patriots, even though there was the 2020 season between Tom Brady retiring and him arriving, he is still very much having to carry the torch of the organisation in the wake of Brady moving away to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But it’s fair to say that he certainly took the bull by the horns during his first year in the league, taking the Patriots to the playoffs where they fell in the wild card round to the Buffalo Bills, but having put up over 3,800 yards and 22 touchdowns he showed that he belonged in the league and isn’t embarrassing the position left behind by Brady.

And if this offseason is anything to go by, we might be in for an even better turnout from him this upcoming season.

Back and better than ever

Jones and the Patriots recently returned for OTAs, the first set of activities that teams go through in the buildup to their offseason work before the likes of minicamp and actually preseason games before it all begins again in September. 

And according to multiple people familiar with the Patriots, Jones is coming back in rather remarkable shape. Teammate Kendrick Bourne is quoted as saying that he’s ‘in the best shape of his life’, whilst reporter Jim Murray made a point of observing how much weight he appears to have lost:

Starting from a low point

Jones explained how he managed to get to the state he’s in now, stating:

"I just cleaned up my diet. I've learned more this offseason than I probably ever have about nutrition, sleep, wellness, all that stuff."At the same time, I need to be able to maintain my weight and be able to take hits. There's a fine balance for every player. I've definitely trimmed down on the body fat, and I'll get a chance to bulk up before the season starts and be able to absorb hits."

Jones and his body have gained some notoriety since he came into the NFL, with a now-infamous picture of him shirtless during his days at Alabama being used as something of a punchline:

However, if he’s managed to shed some of that weight ahead of this season, which might make him a little bit more mobile and able to escape pressure and make more throws, then we really could see him take the next step to being the franchise quarterback in New England.