Bill Belichick doesn't have an update on Mac Jones' back injury

BOSTON -- All of New England is waiting with bated breath for an update on Mac Jones' back injury. That wait will continue into Monday afternoon.

The Patriots quarterback was hurt during Sunday's 20-7 loss to the Dolphins in Miami, though he never had to leave the field or miss any game action. He did miss his usual postgame press conference, making a trip to the X-ray room instead of the interview room.

Those X-rays were reportedly negative, and Jones will chat with reporters via Zoom on Monday afternoon. Perhaps we'll get an update on his condition then, because head coach Bill Belichick did not have one Monday morning.

Jones did fly back with the team from Florida on Sunday, but as Belichick explained, a diagnosis usually takes some time. Jones will undergo further testing throughout the day on Monday, and the Patriots are waiting on those results before giving any updates.

"Where players are immediately after the game and where they are, say 18 hours after the game, is often quite different," Belichick said Monday morning. "I know everyone is hungry for an up to the second update. But the best way to handle these situations is to give it a little time, run whatever tests and analysis need to be run, and go from there.

"So that's what we always do. That's what we're gonna do in this case," Belichick continued. "That's what we're going to do in every other case with every other injury, unless something is more clear cut or obvious enough in a very short period of time, which sometimes it is. But that's why we have these medical procedures and and we're going to use them. So it'll be that way with just about everybody."

Belichick said he's aware of which play caused Jones the back discomfort, but he did not divulge that information with reporters.

Jones was 21-for-30 for 213 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He was sacked twice and hit three times overall by the Miami defense, including a strip sack that Miami picked up and returned for a six-yard touchdown.

New England visits the 1-0 Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. The Steelers defense was all over Cincinnati's Joe Burrow on Sunday, sacking him seven times and coming down with four interceptions in a 23-20 overtime win over the Bengals.