In a shocking twist, the New England Patriots have released veteran quarterback Cam Newton and rookie Mac Jones has been named the starter. The news was first reported by Jim McBride of The Boston Globe.
The two quarterbacks have been battling in training camp for the number one spot, and while Jones has looked more than capable of winning the job, many experts expected Newton to be given the nod. Newton was 14 of 21 for 162 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Patriots three preseason games. He signed a one-year contract in the offseason with $3.5 million in guaranteed money.
Newton did not play well in his first season in New England, throwing for 2,657 yards and only eight touchdowns. The Patriots offense ranked 30th in passing yards per game.
Last week, Newton was forced to spend five days away from the team facility after a “misunderstanding” of the NFL’s COVID testing policy. Newton has declined to say publicly whether he is vaccinated, but the nature of his absence points to him being unvaccinated. On Monday, the NFLPA and NFL agreed to test vaccinated players every seven days. The previous protocol was once every 14 days.
“On Saturday, Cam Newton traveled to a Club-approved medical appointment that required him to leave the New England area. He received daily Covid tests, which were all negative,” the Patriots wrote in a statement. “Due to a misunderstanding about tests conducted away from NFL facilities, and as required by the NFL-NFLPA protocols, Cam will be subject to the five-day entry cadence process before returning to the facility. Cam will continue participating virtually in team activities and return to the club facility on Thursday, August 26.”
Jones was taken 15th overall by the Patriots in the 2021 NFL Draft after winning a National Championship at Alabama. He impressed during the preseason, throwing for 389 yards on 36-52 passing with one touchdown in three games. The decision to cut Newton and start Jones makes it clear that Jones is the future of the organization and gives Jones the opportunity to learn on the fly.
“I’ve learned at a young age to just prepare like the starter,” Jones said on Sunday. “You don’t have to be the starter, but you have to prepare and get into your routine.”
“I think he’s a great young man,” Patriots captain Matthew Slater said of Jones. “Character really counts when you talk about what we do off the football field, the way we carry ourselves. The way that he commands respect of even guys like myself, older guys that been here for a while, he’s earned that respect by the way that he’s gone about his craft.”
New England opens the season at home against the Miami Dolphins Sunday, September 12.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].
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Source: Dailywire
