The New England Patriots finally landed a quarterback fans can be excited about during Thursday night’s draft, but Bill Belichick immediately made it clear that Mac Jones has a lot of work to do before he can think about earning a starting job.
Belichick told reporters after the first round of the draft that Newton remains New England’s starting quarterback. He said both Jones and Jarrett Stidham will have a chance to “compete” but that Newton is the team’s starter.
Belichick was asked if Cam was the first guy in the huddle and how long that would last for? "I don't know. Somebody would have to play better than he does."
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) April 30, 2021
Of course, there is a long way to go before the start of the regular season. The Patriots re-signed Cam Newton to a team-friendly deal, and the belief all offseason has been that he was more of an insurance plan than anything. He’ll benefit from having a year under his belt in the team’s offense, and Belichick will definitely give him a fair crack at earning the starting job. But if Newton does start in Week 1, he will likely have to play well to remain in that spot.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft made it clear recently that he does not feel Newton got a fair shot in 2021. If Jones needs a year to develop, Newton could serve as a bridge quarterback of sorts for Belichick.
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