Bill Belichick said Wednesday that the New England Patriots' championship success in his 23-year tenure isn't part of his mindset when looking ahead to the 2023 season.

"We're not resting on our past laurels; that's not the message to the team or the fans," Belichick said. "We have never operated that way and aren't now."

Belichick's remarks came two days after he held a Q&A session at the NFL's annual meeting in Phoenix. Toward the end of that 28-minute media session, Belichick was asked what he would say to fans to give them a reason to be optimistic for what's ahead.

He responded: "The last 25 years."

The New England Patriots will not pursue a trade for Lamar Jackson, a source told Jeff Howe of The Athletic. 

The Baltimore Ravens placed the $32.4 million franchise tag on Jackson.

If the Patriots signed Jackson to an offer sheet, they would ship their next two first-round draft picks to Baltimore if the Ravens didn’t match the terms. The Patriots would also have to sign Jackson to a long-term contract. Jackson is seeking a fully guaranteed deal.

New England will start Mac Jones at quarterback in 2023, but Bailey Zappe will push Jones.

Jerod Mayo passed on interviews with other teams to return to the New England Patriots for the fifth year as an assistant coach.

Mayo's decision has led some to wonder whether Mayo is thought of as a potential successor to Bill Belichick.

While there is no sign Belichick's departure is imminent, Patriots owner Robert Kraft didn't dismiss the possibility that Mayo could be the team's next head coach.

In an interview from the league meetings this week, Kraft called Mayo a "strong candidate" for that role while noting that the team has "other good people" on hand as well.

Mayo's title has been inside linebackers coach, but he has been seen as a de facto co-defensive coordinator with Steve Belichick in recent seasons. 

Jalen Mills and the New England Patriots have agreed to a reworked deal.

The revised, one-year contract is incentive-laden and potentially could be worth as much as $6.1 million. He had been slated to hit the salary cap for $6.625 million this season after signing a four-year, $24 million contract in 2021.

The Patriots could try Mills at safety to replace Devin McCourty in addition to his primary position of cornerback.

Dont'a Hightower, who won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots in his nine-year career, has announced his retirement.

"I can't think of a better story than the one I wrote in New England," Hightower wrote on The Players' Tribune. "So this is a happy day for me ... Today, I'm totally at peace knowing that I gave this franchise every ounce of sweat I had left."

Hightower, 33, didn't play in 2020 as a COVID opt-out, and he also sat out the 2022 season.

He played in 117 regular-season games (114 starts) and totaled 569 tackles and 27 sacks. He appeared in 17 playoff games, starting all of them, amassing 81 tackles and three sacks.

The New England Patriots have agreed to a one-year deal with Mike Gesicki that is worth up to $9 million, according to sources.

Mike Gesicki will pair with Hunter Henry at tight end for the Patriots, who traded Jonnu Smith to the Atlanta Falcons earlier this week.

Bill Belichick has long admired Gesicki, saying in recent years: "He's a hard guy to cover. Long. Crafty route runner. He can get down the field. Very good hands. Makes some acrobatic catches, has enough quickness to separate. He's really, I would say, more of a big receiver than a true tight end, but he functions a little bit in that spot."

The New England Patriots have agreed to a two-year deal with James Robinson worth as much as $8 million, according to a source.

The running back is expected to be a compliment to Rhamondre Stevenson, a role previously held by Damien Harris, who is an unrestricted free agent.

Robinson, 24, became an unrestricted free agent when the New York Jets decided not to tender him an offer for the 2023 season.

JuJu Smith-Schuster has agreed to sign with the New England Patriots on a three-year, $33 million deal.

Smith-Schuster, 26, played last season with Kansas City after five with the Steelers. He caught 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns during the regular season and added 10 more receptions in three postseason games, including seven in the Chiefs' Super Bowl LVII victory over the Eagles.

The New England Patriots have traded tight end Jonnu Smith to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2023 seventh-round pick (No. 245), according to multiple reports.

After spending the first four years of his career with the Tennessee Titans, Smith signed with the Patriots in 2021.

Smith's original four-year, $50 million contract will be reworked as part of the deal.

Former New England Patriots defender Willie McGinest has been charged with two felonies stemming from an incident that took place at a restaurant in Southern California back in December. 

McGinest is facing one charge of assault with a deadly weapon and one charge of assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury. He's facing up to four years in jail for each of the two charges.

The incident took place at Delilah restaurant in West Hollywood on Dec. 9.

According to the report from the Sheriff's office, multiple "witnesses identified [McGinest] as being one of the individuals involved in the incident."