FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Rookie Mac Jones has commented publicly for the first time since he was named New England Patriots starting quarterback, saying he plans to keep in touch with Cam Newton and was not surprised he won the job.
“He was a really good mentor to me,” Jones said on WEEI’s “Merloni and Fauria” sports radio show. “I know we’ll keep in touch. Ever since I came here, he knew I was here to help him and he was here to help me, so I never felt like we were wrapping heads or anything like that.
“Viouslybviament, Cam is a great guy, a great player and I hope he lands somewhere. I definitely learned a lot from him and I’m excited to keep learning from Brian [Hoyer] and everyone in the quarterback room “.
Jones, a first-round coach at the University of Alabama, shared that he knew he was the starter of a team meeting. He described it as a tough day because it came at a time when many of his teammates were being released.
When asked if he was surprised, Jones told the radio show, “Not really. As I always say, I’m preparing to be a starter. I get a chance to get a lot of reps. It really doesn’t change anything. I’m just trying to be a good teammate, trying to learn plays every day, fix what was bad and listen [offensive coordinator] Josh [McDaniels] and all the guys in the quarterback room and they take the advice. “
The Patriots open the season at home Sunday against the Miami Dolphins (CBS, 16:25 ET), meaning Jones will face former Alabama teammate quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The two have not connected since Jones was named Patriots starter.
“We’ve been pretty busy,” Jones told WEEI. “I don’t really go so much on his phone. I don’t really go on my phone as much. So I guess we’ll have to talk when we see each other.
“Tua is an amazing guy. He’s really a good talented footballer. Just learn from him and Jalen [Hurts] it was great, obviously. Now that we all have a chance here in the NFL, I think it’s going to be great to face each other. “
Jones, 23, said the first call he made after becoming a Patriots starter was to his parents, Gordon and Holly. He also shared that he has been learning the Patriots playbook with the help of his girlfriend, Sophie Scott, as they sometimes walk around plays in the courtyard of his residence.
From his reaction to winning the starting job, Jones told WEEI, “It’s a great opportunity and one thing I’ve always wanted to do: be the starting quarterback in the NFL. It doesn’t mean much. The tag is the tag. “But I have to go out and produce. That’s just what it’s all about.”