Mac Jones Replacing Cam Newton as Starting QB

Earlier today news broke that the New England Patriots released Cam Newton and named rookie Mac Jones as their new starting QB. This roster change means Jones is the third rookie quarterback from the 2021 class to become a starter in the NFL - the other two being Trevor Lawrence for the Jaguars and Zach Wilson for the Jets.

The Patriots were hopeful that Newton would’ve been stronger this season however, he hasn’t lived up to their expectations - doing things like missing basic throws during preseason games. While Newton did have good timing and location with his throws against the Eagles, and not all of his incompletions against the Giants were on him, Newton has generally had a declining overall skill set - attempting 1.9 passes per game at least 20 yards downfield last season (his lowest single-season average).

Nevertheless, Newton is optimistic, even going to Instagram to post “I really appreciate all the love and support during this time but I must say.. please don’t feel sorry for me”. There hasn’t been any official say about where Newton will end up, possible destinations discussed for the QB are the Cowboys, Ravens, Broncos, Texans, and the Washington Football team.

Cam Newton: Image Source

Bill Belicheck has said he searches for consistency and production when evaluating his quarterbacks, and with Jones’ impressive preseason performance, and Newton’s declining skill set, Jones makes sense as the Patriot’s new starting QB. He finished the preseason with 36-of-52 for 389, with one touchdown and no interceptions, playing 107 snaps - making Jones preseason one of the highest totals among Patriots QB’s.

All this to say - Jones is expected to do a lot of good for the Patriots, one of his teammates even saying “[Jones] can be special. To be so young… he makes some throws that not a lot of young guys can make”. Jones’ warm welcome to his starting position also comes from the Patriot’s fan base who sold out his Jersey in the Pro Shop shortly after the news came to light.

Mac Jones: Image Source