New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick seems intent on having Cam Newton start the season as his No. 1 quarterback, but there have been numerous reports that Mac Jones could push the former NFL MVP in training camp. Judging by what one Patriots player said about the rookie this week, an open competition almost seems inevitable.
Mike Giardi of NFL.com wrote on Monday that Jones looked better than Newton throughout most of minicamp this month. While many players have struggled to grasp New England’s offense, it sounds like Jones already has a handle on it.
One anonymous Patriot who plays on the offensive side of the ball told Giardi that “Mac sees the game the way (offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) sees it.”
Considering Jones was drafted less than two months ago, that is quite telling.
Newton never got a fair shot in his first season with the Patriots. He was signed late in the offseason, and restrictions related to the pandemic made it so he was way behind in learning a new offense. The Patriots also had arguably the worst collection of skill position players in the NFL. That is likely why Belichick insists on keeping Newton at the top of the depth chart, but that could change.
Even Newton has had very high praise for Jones, so the former Alabama star has quickly made his mark. Newton clearly has the inside track on the starting job, but it would be naive to say Jones has no chance at supplanting him.
