The New England Patriots have a Tom Brady problem. He’s gone. And while there has been no shortage of hype surrounding Jarrett Stidham (at least at first) and then Cam Newton, Bill Belichick is going to actually have to replace Brady, a six-time Super Bowl champion and arguably the greatest quarterback of all time.
The good news is that Belichick has put together serviceable quarterbacking performances when New England was without Brady over the last 20 years. Matt Cassel, Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett all managed to win games while taking over in Brady’s absence. That’s probably why the hype has grown so quickly about Stidham and Newton. Belichick just has a way of making things work — and, in turn, winning football games.
So here’s a look at the quarterbacks Belichick will use to move on from Brady.
Cam Newton
He’s the favorite to win the job. Hopefully, everyone’s had a moment to come to an agreement on that. As bad as he was in 2019, he was terrific in 2018, with one of his most efficient seasons (67.9) and he was an MVP in 2015. He’s also been to a Super Bowl, and even though Belichick will claim that sort of experience doesn’t matter to him, it does. Super Bowl experience, particularly for a quarterback, shows a track record of success and preparation. Newton has the necessary work ethic to handle Belichick’s demands.
The Patriots have the right group of skill players to surround Newton. They have Newton in a situation where he’ll be doing everything within his power to succeed, in part because he wants to prove the Panthers wrong and in part because his one-year contract will make him a free agent in 2021. But that deal is also why, if Newton’s injuries prove problematic, the Patriots might move on quickly. That’s basically the only thing that will get in the way of him excelling in New England.