New England Patriots cut Cam Newton; Mac Jones to begin with

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – In a startling move, the New England Patriots released veteran quarterback Cam Newton on Tuesday, who handed things over to debutant Mac Jones as a starter, ESPN has confirmed.

Coach Bill Belichick had repeatedly said that Newton was the team’s starting quarterback, but that he needed to restore that position, as someone would have to play better than him. Jones has done so, according to Belichick.

Jones finished preseason 36 of 52 for 389 yards, with a touchdown and no interceptions, playing 107 snapshots, easily the highest total among the Patriots quarterbacks.

Newton had started every preseason game, but he didn’t play as much overall, only 39 snapshots. He finished preseason 14 of 21 for 162 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

By releasing Newton, who was a team captain, he leaves the way open for Jones to grow into a leadership role without the presence of the NFL’s most valuable former player. Veteran Brian Hoyer is expected to serve as Jones ’main backup, and the team has selected in the fourth round of 2019 Jarrett Stidham on the roster who can’t physically act as a possible option later in the season.

On Tuesday morning, Belichick said Newton had gone in the “right direction” when asked about his preseason and his training camp. This added to the surprise of Newton’s release.

After the news came out of his release, Newton posted on his Instagram account, “I appreciate all the love and support during this time, but I have to say … please, I’m not sorry. I’m well “.

Belichick had previously said he was looking for consistency and production for a period of time in evaluating quarterbacks, which naturally included practice and games. A breakthrough for Jones came when Newton missed three practices due to a “misunderstanding” of the COVID-19 protocol last week, and Jones took over the team.

Jones was particularly impressive in a joint session with the New York Giants, continuing with an issue about him committing the traditional Patriots offensive that includes empty formations, establishing offensive protection on the battle line and checking plays when the situation worsens. demanded. . Jones had said that day he felt like he was in a “game flow.”

Sunday night, after the preseason finale, Jones said he was preparing as a starter but was preparing for all possibilities. “I’m here to play any role I can, help in any way I can and I’ll be ready whenever my time comes,” he said.

Jones has quickly earned the respect of his teammates, as veteran offensive striker Trent Brown said earlier: “I think he can be special. Being so young, I think he makes some throws that a lot of guys can’t do. teens”.

The usual captain, Matthew Slater, the longest-serving Patriot, said earlier: “I think he’s a great young man. Character really matters when you talk about what we do off the football field, our way of behaving. “We respect ourselves. The way he respects even boys like me, older people who have been here for a while, has earned that respect for having done his job.”

The Patriots had re-signed Newton with a modest one-year deal in March that included $ 3.5 million in guaranteed money. Newton would have earned $ 5.1 million if he was healthy and on the roster as a backup, with incentives that would increase the potential package to $ 13.6 million if he were the starter and the team advanced to the playoffs.

The Boston Globe first reported Newton’s release.

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