J.C. Jackson’s status for Sunday’s game vs. the Saints is very much up in the air

Jackson, who had a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee end his 2022 season, hasn’t played since Week 2. And in the locker room Friday, he was sporting a sizable bag of ice on his knee. Asked if there was a chance he suits up Sunday, Belichick was understandably noncommittal.

“We’ll see. We’ll see how it goes,” Belichick said. “Got a few moving parts here, so we’ll figure it out here as we get to the end of the week.”

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In addition to Jackson, the “moving parts” include cornerback Jonathan Jones, who has missed the last three games because of an ankle issue. Jones, who was listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report, apparently has made strides over the last couple of weeks.

“It’s good to have Jonathan back out there this week,” Belichick said. “He did some things last week and was able to do more this week. So, coming to the end of the week and see where we are with him, but certainly a lot closer than he was this time last week.”

When it comes to other possibilities, second-year cornerback Jack Jones was eligible to return from injured reserve this week, but he wasn’t spotted at practice Friday, which likely means he won’t return until next week at the earliest.

Faith in his QB

Belichick delivered a vote of confidence in Mac Jones, saying the quarterback is “pretty mentally tough” when it comes to bouncing back after subpar performances.

“Anybody who plays or coaches in this league has not-so-good performances somewhere along the line,” Belichick said. “So, part of the job, part of the situation, every week’s a new week. Mac’s pretty mentally tough. So is everybody else around here. I mean, you have to be in this league.”

Jones is coming off one of the worst performances of his career in Dallas, going 12 for 21 for 150 yards and a pair of interceptions before being pulled.

“If it just goes from bad to worse, then you’re not going to be around very long,” Belichick said. “We all get knocked down. Got to get up and go back in the ring.”

Remembered fondly

Belichick took a few moments to address the deaths of former Patriots tight end Russ Francis and legendary Bears linebacker Dick Butkus.

Francis, who died in a plane crash this past Sunday, played parts of eight seasons with the Patriots before and after a stint with the 49ers. The free-spirited Francis caught 393 passes for 5,262 yards and 40 touchdowns in his NFL career.

Belichick, who coached against Francis when he was with the Giants, recalled him as a “fun-loving guy” who helped shape the tight end position in the 1970s and ’80s.

“He’s about as good as we faced — and we faced some pretty good ones when I was at the Giants,” Belichick said. “He was a really good football player that I got to know a little bit here when he came back for a couple of events.

“He had some special skills as a tight end, and he could block and he was tough. And, he was tall. He was a big target. You couldn’t overthrow that guy. He had a huge catch radius, good hands. Yeah, he was tough.”

As for Butkus, Belichick smiled when he recalled the Hall of Famer, saying he was the “ultimate middle linebacker.”

“He was a Chicago Bear if there ever was one,” Belichick said. “I got to spend a little time with him at the NFL 100, at the Super Bowl in Miami when they introduced us. Was great to get to meet him and talk to him. A ton of respect for Dick and his playing style, what he did for the game.”

Injury report

Matthew Judon (biceps) and Christian Gonzalez (shoulder) were the only two players missing from practice. Both were injured in the loss to the Cowboys and officially listed as out for the game against the Saints. The Patriots listed 10 players as questionable, all of whom were limited Friday: defensive linemen Christian Barmore (knee), Trey Flowers (foot), and Davon Godchaux (ankle); offensive linemen Trent Brown (chest), Riley Reiff (knee), and Cole Strange (knee); cornerbacks Jonathan Jones (ankle) and Shaun Wade (shoulder); defensive back Cody Davis (knee); and running back Rhamondre Stevenson (thigh). Running back Ty Montgomery, who was limited Thursday with an illness, was removed from the report … In addition to Jack Jones, wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (shoulder) was eligible to come off injured reserve this week, and while he’s been spotted in the locker room the last week or two, he wasn’t seen at the start of Friday’s workout, which means a possible return likely won’t be until Week 6 at the earliest.

Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him @cpriceglobe.