For the third time in his NFL career, Mac Jones will face off against the Miami Dolphins. The New England Patriots are set to meet the Dolphins for a crucial road matchup in Week 1.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel will have a front-row seat to watch Jones in an NFL game for the first time. McDaniel has recently been going over film on Jones for the first time since the weeks leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft when he served as the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. Even as the 49ers were heavily rumored to select the former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback with their No. 3 overall pick in the draft, they opted to instead take former North Dakota State standout Trey Lance.

As McDaniel is once again doing his film homework on Jones, much stands out to him about the second-year Patriots quarterback. For one, as he touched on during a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the Dolphins’ home clash with the Patriots, McDaniel sees a cool, calm, and collected passer in Jones when he is in the pocket.

“He’s a really cool player,” McDaniel said. “I really admire – it is one of my, it was one of the more impressive collegiate performances we’ve obviously had. We were involved in the quarterback evaluation process (in San Francisco), and just came away super impressed with his ability to play the NFL game. I think he’s a guy that for whatever reason, people like to say subtle disparaging stuff.

Related NewsArticle continues below
New England Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell (66) speaks to the media after rookie camp at Gillette Stadium.
Patriots’ Will Campbell reveals shocking pregame ritual he’s been doing since high school
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) walks to the field to warm up before the start of the game against the Buffalo Bills.
Patriots’ Drake Maye earns major praise from NFL insider on team’s new outlook
Patriots riskiest move in 2025 NFL offseason
Patriots riskiest move in 2025 NFL offseason

“I see a really, really good NFL quarterback that he’ll just continue to progress. He’s one of the guys that I feel very confident in how he plays the position. And even if he has any sort of hiccups, he’s one of the guys that you know is going to be a legitimate NFL player at that position, which is so hard to do. He commands the game. He really has a feel of timing and – elusive, people don’t really say hand in hand, but within the pocket, he is very elusive.”

McDaniel further added that the best is still yet to come for Jones in the league, and he is looking “forward to watching it 15 out of the 17 games of the NFL season.”

Jones will look to secure his first win over the Dolphins this Sunday after dropping both games against them last season.