Considering Cam Newton‘s 2020 struggles coupled with the Patriots’ decision to invest a first-round pick in a quarterback, many assumed rookie Mac Jones would take over as New England’s starter in 2021.
Not so fast.
Following the draft, Bill Belichick came out and said Newton would remain the team’s starter until he was unseated. Belichick has stuck with that sentiment throughout the offseason and into the preseason, even if the former MVP’s hold on the starting gig has started to show some cracks.
For starters, earlier this month, we heard that Jones had narrowed the gap between himself and Newton with a strong training camp. Then, Newton was recently sidelined due to a “misunderstanding” over COVID-19 protocols. While Newton’s absence stemmed from a team-approved visit to an out-of-state doctor, NFL Network’s Mike Giardi recently tweeted that there was “a level of frustration internally” with the entire situation. In fact, one member of the organization told the reporter that Newton’s recent absence “opened a window of opportunity” for the rookie, and Belichick acknowledged earlier this week that Newton’s absence would provide Jones with a chance to show what he’s got.
Naturally, Belichick surprised a few when he went back to Newton as the starter during today’s joint practice with the Giants. As Jeff Howe of The Athletic wrote, this decision gave “off the appearance nothing has changed in the race for the No. 1 job.” So, just more confusion in regards to the starting gig.
Jones has earned glowing reviews for his consistent play during practice, while Newton has merely shown glimpses of consistency. The duo has been relatively even during their preseason contests, and their statistics only help to cloud the quarterbacks depth chart.
There are merits to starting either one of the two quarterbacks. Newton didn’t get a fair shake during his first season in New England; he got a late start to training camp, dealt with a depleted set of offensive weapons, and had a bout with COVID. On the flip side, he guided the Patriots to one of the worst passing offenses in the NFL. While there could still be some upside with Newton, the consensus opinion seems to be that his 2020 performance is more indicative of his future production than his standout campaigns with the Panthers.
The main argument in the pro-Jones camp is that he’s not Newton, but there are some other reasons to believe in the rook. While Jones certainly isn’t (and probably will never be close to) Tom Brady, the 6-foor-3, big-armed quarterback would appear to be a better fit in Belichick and Josh McDaniels‘ successful offense. Jones has also impressed with his decision making and ability to grasp the offense. On the flip side, we shouldn’t put a lot of stock in practice and preseason. Plus, Belichick traditionally buries his rookies; Jones probably wouldn’t be an exception.
While we’ll likely get our answer in the next few weeks, we’re putting the question out to you: who will be the Patriots starting QB to start the 2021 season? (In before someone jokes about Brian Hoyer or Jarrett Stidham taking the reigns). Let us know in the poll below, and share your thoughts in the comments.
Without any real evidence to back it up, I’m just going to guess Newton gets 3 starts.
I’d pretty much say this will be the play tbh. Newton gets a 3 game leash, if he’s bad Jones is in and it’s his offense to run with. If Newton does good, he stays until he blows up a first half and Jones takes the reigns.
Jones is obviously the long term option, I can’t see him not starting at least a couple games this season if Newton isn’t other worldly.
Patriot fans said this all last year with Stidham while their offense stunk. Belichick isn’t going to put a rookie in a bad situation if he has a veteran that he can use.
Except Stidham 1) wasn’t a rookie and 2) doesn’t possess nearly the upside of Jones
Ain’t what you dummies were saying a year ago. Same with your media members. It actually makes you look more stupid because Stidham you acknowledge wasn’t a rookie, but Patriot fans kept telling us all off-season and whenever Newton struggled that he just needed a chance to show he was the next Brady. I mean if all of this stupidity you peddle that you just need a guy who gets the ball out quick and “runs the offense” was true, Stidham should have been in there since that’s what you kept telling us. I mean the Patriot defense wasn’t what it was in the past, but it was still very good last year, a top ten unit, so Stidham should have gotten the starts according to how some of you think you know things.
Belichick didn’t see it that way because he’s not that simplistic in evaluation of his players. I do have a news flash for you though, you’d better get off that idea that you’re going to get another one of the GOAT walking through the door anyway. It’s not going to serve Jones in any way putting that unrealistic pressure on him.
1) I don’t think anyone ever said Stidham was the next Brady. 2) you won’t find anyone who doesn’t think Stidham should’ve taken over last season over Cam at some point. Why he didn’t only Bill knows. However fast forward to this season the team has vastly improved on both ends of the ball to the point where it can probably persevere with Mac at the helm, even with any rookie bumps along the road
You must have had your hands over your eyes then. It was a procession of that he was going to start in his second year just like Brady because they had confidence in him now. Blah, blah, blah.
Like I said, I’m sure you and the media people are smarter than Belichick. He didn’t take over because he was never a viable option, something some of us told you while the myth was perpetuated right up until Belichick signed Newton right before the season after having talked to him for months after he got released by the Panthers.
In other words, fans and the media don’t know as much about what’s going on as they think they do, especially when you’re talking about inarguably the greatest coach of this generation.
Just look at that simplistic view of things to begin with. The team has improved enough to where it can ride out a rookie’s mistakes. Tell me when has Belichick ever coached like that? He’s going to ride with a rookie who has never seen any of this stuff before over a guy who has seen it all. Makes no sense on any level but for clueless Patriot fans who can’t see the forest for the trees.
You couldn’t be more condescending if you tried.
I’m not a Patriots fan and it’s also not my fault you couldn’t be bothered to get your facts straight. I did not suggest New England should immediately throw Jones into the fire, but it is not outside the realm of possibility he gets a chance if Newton can’t succeed.
It’s also not a stretch to say Jones is straight up a better player than Stidham; I’m not really sure where the idea of Stidham being some great prospect came from, given that he was only a fourth round pick
To be honest, I’m not even sure what your argument is supposed to be
You replied to me. I simply said that he’s not going to start much if at all this year barring injury. That’s just based on watching how Belichick has operated since Cleveland. He does it with every position on the team where there are guys who are drafted and barely play but somehow QB is different. It’ll be the Alex Smith-Patrick Mahomes model unless Newton gets hurt.
You won’t need to look far to find the smarter Pats fans who understand that Stidham was never a better option than Newton. He did get his chance, several times, but Cam was better, or not as bad as Stidham, anyway. And Cam was hurt, hadn’t had a preseason with us, and he had a bunch of fourth receivers and NO tight end to throw to.
If Mac Jones had outplayed Cam at camp, that would be one thing. But the play has been pretty even between them. Cam will start because he’s a multi-talented veteran NFL quarterback, Mac is not (yet).
Cam will play most of the year as the starter and we’ll win a lot more than we’ll lose, but Cam will get hurt and Jones will get his chance. Makes perfect sense to most Pats fans.
All the Pats fans were saying that the Patriots would not even need to sign Newton because they were going to roll with Stidham. I remember saying that signing Newton was a no-brainer and a perfect Belichick move and getting trashed by Pats fans who thought Stidham just needed a chance because he was way better than Newton.
Look at all posts here tagged ‘cam newton’ and scroll back to when the Pats signed Newton. It’s comical how delusional Pats fans were about Stidham and Hoyer.
As a Patriots fan, I would have rather went with Stifham last year over Cam.
Gotta wonder when Belichick will figure out that a stubborn resistance to change is more effective when your starting QB is named Brady…
Pats play TB week 4 Sunday night football, doubt belichick wants to put that kinda pressure on Jones.
My guess is Mac takes over shortly after that unless pats are like 3-1 or something similar.
Belichick isn’t stupid. It will be Newton if not for any reason but that QBs who start from day one rarely win anything. It’s always the height of stupidity to me that coaches and organizations rush these QBs that their whole franchise is riding on out there before they’re ready to appease the fans when the track record is so poor for starting a guy from day one. Of the ones taken in the first round in the last ten years, only Matt Ryan is left with his original team, and although he came close, he didn’t win anything. The decade before that it was that 2004 class that was pretty much it, and Roethlisberger and Rivers went to stacked teams. You have him for five years, build the team right and raise him right for long-term success.
No arguments here. Spot on with every point. Only thing I would say is that Newton may force his hand. He has been pretty brittle the last few years.
He actually hasn’t. Until last year, the last time he was healthy, he put his team up on the Saints late in his last playoff game after going 11-5 in the regular season. Since then, he’s been hurt until last year, and last year, do Patriot fans think any other QB other than Brady would have made those terrible skill position players look better? I mean that was the whole narrative at the end of 2019, but then magically it became Newton’s fault when the offensive players were even worse in 2020.
I also like how people quote his stats without including the 12 rushing TDs in the numbers. It’s usually not relevant for most QBs, but Newton has more rushing TDs than every current active RB. It’s kind of important to keep that in context since it’s been such a big staple of what he does every year.
Coaches run him in goal line packages like an FB. But people seem to ignore that for some reason like they haven’t been watching him play the last 10 years too.
He’s been very good in the preseason. He’s been a good passer in the past, he will probably be very good this year.
I get your point and think there’s some merit to not rushing them. But you’re acting like the track record is non existent of QBs succeeding starting early. Russel Wilson, Luck, Watson, Allen, Kyler, Herbert to name a few, even Cam as well as Peyton Manning going back further.
There’s obv something to be said about not rushing your QB but there’s also no substitute for learning from experience.
None of them won Super Bowls. That’s the end of the argument. Andrew Luck got the game beaten out of him for Christsakes. Meanwhile, the two guys who sat have become the best two QBs in the last 20 years, Rodgers and Mahomes, and they both have rings.
If you picked the right one, no franchise is going to get rid of their QB, so what’s the rush? Making sure they get hurt like Burrow or that they quit like Carson Palmer or that they never win you anything like Matthew Stafford or that they have to change teams like Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariotta? No one can tell me how this is still seen as the right blueprint unless you have a good team already.
I don’t think you need to win a SB to be considered successful. There’s only like 5 active QBs who have. You’re nit picking those 2 guys who went to the most ideal situations. There’s plenty of guys who won SBs while starting early Big Ben, Russ, even Joe Flacco lol.
Obviously QBs should start when they’re ready but it’s not always that cut and dry. Most GMs/Coaches can’t afford to wait too long to start their guy or they’ll be fired.
It’s prob more correlative to QB success to go to a strong team than it is when they get their first start. But again, many of these guys don’t go to good teams especially if they’re a high draft pick. It’s not a perfect science.
That’s the only reason they play these games. Think Charger fans care that Rivers was there for 15 years? They have no rings. Even these QBs would tell you that.
That’s a weak argument. There’s so much more that goes into winning a SB, it’s a team sport where everyone needs to contribute. If Brady doesn’t go to the Pats does he have 7 rings? Probably not. I doubt Charger fans are mad they had Rivers, he made them competitive for those 15 years just sometimes things don’t go your way in the playoffs etc.
By your logic legends like Marino and Barry Sanders would be considered busts.
I think most Chargers fans are happy with Rivers. You might find some who aren’t, but most are. Thing is, the guy you’re arguing with pretty much agreed with you in the initial reply, so I’m not sure what the continuing argument is.
Most QBs don’t succeed in general, whenever they start. But because there is so much variability between teams that they go to (and, even more importantly, roster and coaching differences within that) that it’s hard to determine a surefire method for dictating a general timetable for starting. Would Mahomes be Mahomes if he started immediately? Would he be Mahomes if he wasn’t coached by Reid? Would he be Mahomes if he didn’t have Hill, Kelce, Watkins, and the others these last few years? How much difference do lower level coaches like Kafka make? How much does the city and environment count?
I generally agree with you, but there are other factors to take into account than pure time when determining starting readiness. And there are equally numerous ways that players can succeed and do their jobs other than winning a championship, though that is the single biggest part. Isn’t that part of the reason you pointed out Cam’s rushing statistics last year, to show that he had some hidden value? There are multiple ways to demonstrate effectiveness. Championships come as a result of taking those ways across the board and putting them together.
Think Cam will start. Only on the fact the Patriots are a win now team, they have great coaches and ungraded to roster a bunch. So that locker room is looking for a strong leader to get results. Cam because of his experience will likely get the start but once the results don’t go his way then they will turn to Mac who will take over and take control, leaving Cam in the dust.
I think Cam starts the first 4 possibly 5, then Mac takes over and manages to lead them to the playoffs. They lose in a close contest but from them on it becomes Macs franchise
Yeah he obviously has no clue how to coach
I’d start Newton, ask him to be a game manager, let the defense and special teams set the tone early, but give Jones situational packages each game (__% of total snaps)
With a strong line and the promise Damien Harris brings at RB I think they need ride Harris regardless. I’m not sure what direction it will go but think the Tampa game would set up for a nice past versus future matchup. If not by then then it will be shortly after ..
Preseason stats don’t mean anything. The Patriot coaching staff is going to look at the film of practices, joint practices and the games thus far.
Stats don’t tell if these guys are making the right reads and know the playbooks.
Week 4 is when the GOAT comes home. Cam starts the first 4 weeks to take the pressure off. After the Bucs, it goes to Jones. TB12. MJ10.
It’s going to be Cam Newton. It’s obvious. The real question is who will finish the season as QB? My money is on Mac
The Tampa game will be BB Vs TB 12. It will be Cam’s last unless the Pat’s win. One person’s opinion.
Cam’s refusal to get vaccinated, I think, will make BB’s mind up especially if Cam goes to the bench early for Covid Protocol. He saw the difference in his play in the 2020 season–he was a different player when he returned.
That, my friend, is horse hockey. Newton did his best though his shoulder was in pain and the Covid made him weak all year. He’s had Covid, he screwed up a protocol and he has questions about the vaccine, and that makes BB’s decision?
Watch the games, man.
Brian Hoyer
Jones and Stidham r the starter and backup for the next 5-8 years. (More talking about stidham as the backup in the projection). But it’s a nice young tandem and they can build around Jones nicely with the rookie contract. I’d give Cam 2 starts and if he’s not good he’s out. And if he’s decent he could b traded for a late pick or a disappointing second year first or second rounder for a team that has a qb injury.
Poll WHO CARES. 8-8 at best
That will be tough in a 17 game season. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Boy, you learned my good.
You haven’t been watching the preseason, and you obviously don’t know football if you don’t see how much better this team is than last year’s team. I think we lose 3-4 games.
Have you see Matt Judon play? know the names Hightower and Van Noy? Do you know how much better our offensive line is? Do you know who Rhamondre Stevenson is and how good our running game is? Think Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Kendrick Bourne, and Nelson Agholor are better than last year’s receivers? How about our corners, especially once they sign Gilmore? Both QBs have played well in preseason. There’s no reason to believe they will not be 11-5 at least this year.
Evidently “rap music is distracting” Newton so…
Jones’ musical tastes might give him a leg up.
After tonight, has to be Jones.