What in the left-field is going on? The New England Patriots not only decided that rookie, Mac Jones, is going to be the starting quarterback for them, but they don’t even want Newton to back him up. Jones has looked great this preseason with a 69% completion rate, 388 passing yards to go along with a 97.3 QBR. He was by far the best quarterback out of all that came out of this 2021 draft class.
One thing you can look back upon as the difference maker is when Cam had to go on the COVID list for five days due to him misunderstand the protocols the NFL put in place for training camp. During those five days, Mac got all of the first-team reps and shined each day he was out on the practice field. When you have no one else to compare to, it’s way easier to look better in that scenario.
Listen, it was inevitable that Mac Jones was going to be the starting quarterback for the Patriots at some point. Whether it was later this season, or the start of next year, the Patriots used a first-round draft pick on this guy. You have to give him a chance at some point. Making the move this early comes as a surprise for many since it is very “Unlike Bill Belichick” to not start off with the veteran.
I guess you can say Tom saw it coming from his angle, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that it surprised most of us. Cam only had one year under this offense, and it can be tough for any quarterback to make an adjustment to a whole new scheme. Even Tom Brady mentioned how it was tough for him to switch playbooks from the Patriots to the Buccaneers and he did not have it down until later in the season.
What’s next for the 2015 MVP? There’s a couple of interesting options. The Jets could be an intriguing spot for him to mentor Zach Wilson? If you want drama, maybe the Giants bring him on to get Daniel Jones a little more worried? What about the Dolphins if Tua can’t hold up? Or maybe the Lions stir the pot a little bit and have Cam come back up Goff? Newton will find a spot. The question is, where is the best place for him to compete and potentially get a starting job back? Only time will tell.
