Mac Jones not surprised he won Patriots' QB competition

Mac Jones wasn't surprised when the New England Patriots named him their starting quarterback for the 2021 season.

The rookie spoke for the first time since winning a fierce competition with veteran Cam Newton on WEEI's "Merloni and Fauria" show.

"Not really, Jones said, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss. "Like I always say, I prepare to be the starter. I got a chance to get a lot of reps. Nothing really changes.

"Just trying to be a good teammate, trying to learn the plays every day, fix what I messed up on and listen to (offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) and all the guys in the quarterback room and take the advice."

The 23-year-old wrestled leading duties away from Newton, who recorded a 7-8 record in his lone season in New England before being released a week ago.

Jones, the 15th overall selection in the 2021 draft, praised Newton for his mentorship since Jones joined the club.

"Obviously, Cam is a great guy, a great player, and hopefully he lands somewhere," Jones said. "I definitely learned a lot from him, and I'm excited to keep learning from Brian (Hoyer) and everyone in the quarterback room."

While Jones appreciates achieving a childhood dream of becoming an NFL starting QB, he's turned his focus toward making the most of his opportunity.

"The label is the label, but you gotta go out and produce. That's just kind of what it comes down to," he said.

The former Alabama product will go toe to toe with former college teammate Tua Tagovailoa when the Patriots host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.