Mac Jones officially won the New England Patriots' quarterback competition Tuesday. His next challenge: Brian Flores' Miami Dolphins.
Flores, the Dolphins' head coach, shared his thoughts on Jones ahead of Miami's Sept. 12 season opener against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
"I met Mac Jones at the Senior Bowl," Flores told reporters Tuesday, via the Miami Herald. "I have a great deal of respect for him. If he's earned the respect of Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels, he has my respect."
Jones won over Patriots coaches and veteran teammates with his performance this preseason. Before New England made him the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, he enjoyed a record-setting senior season at Alabama, completing 77.4 percent of his passes for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns with just four interceptions en route to a national championship.
"(Jones was a) very good college player," Flores told reporters. "Did a lot of great things there. This is not the Dolphins against Mac Jones; it's the Dolphins against the Patriots. He's a good young talent; we'll have our handful with him and the entire team."
Miami will be a tough opening foe for Jones, as Flores is known for drawing up creative pressure packages that can confuse opposing quarterbacks. Before taking over the Dolphins two years ago, Flores spent 11 seasons on the Patriots' coaching staff, including one as New England's defensive play-caller in 2018.
The Patriots released veteran QB Cam Newton on Tuesday as they trimmed their roster to 53 players.
