With the regular season just weeks away, the New England Patriots are getting down to the nitty gritty in their quarterback competition.
Both Cam Newton and Mac Jones have had excellent preseason and training camp performances, but the 32-year-old has experience on his side. Jones appears to be comfortable in an NFL setting, but things could change quickly while playing against starting units with some of the league’s top defenses.
Newton’s lackluster performance throughout the 2020 season was mostly a product of unfortunate circumstances — from COVID-19 complications, players opting out and a slew of departed free agents that led to an extremely thin roster. This year, he’s on a one-year deal with a base salary of $1.5 million and he has a far better roster.
NFL Network’s Gil Brandt put together a list of short-term contracts that could pay off in the 2021 season and Newton landed second.
“If rookie Mac Jones manages to seize the No. 1 job before the regular season starts, then this blurb will be moot,” Brandt wrote. “But while Jones is showing promising signs of taking over under center relatively soon, and Newton’s recent absence from the team due to a mix-up over COVID-19 testing protocols was certainly a setback, I believe Newton will still ultimately be given the first chance to lead the offense.”
And, while I’ll admit this ranking is a bit bullish, I’m optimistic the former MVP will rebound from a lackluster 2020 in his second season in coordinator Josh McDaniels’ offense, with a far better supporting cast than he had last season. The cost of his one-year pact will be well worth it if Newton can orchestrate a revival in 2021, even if he does manage to boost his pay via incentives.”
Newton has a lot to overcome considering Jones’ progress this offseason, but if he’s given the opportunity — there’s a solid chance he shows a glimpse of the former MVP we all remember.
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