QB battles are going on between rookies and veterans left and right. In New England, Cam Newton is currently the starter, but Mac Jones’ performance so far in camp and the preseason has him right on Newton’s heels as the Patriots QB. This latest development could have closed the gap even more without Newton taking another snap.
Cam Newton missing five days
Due to COVID-19 protocol, Newton will have to stay home for the next five days. He will miss three practices during that time, including one joint practice with the New York Giants. Newton left the New England area to receive medical treatment on Saturday. Despite receiving daily COVID tests, a misunderstanding of the league’s policies led to this entry cadence process.
As a result, Newton will participate virtually over these next five days. Meanwhile, Jones will get all the live reps with the first team over that period. Newton looked magnificent against the Philadelphia Eagles, going 8/9 for 103 yards and a TD. In that same game with the second team, Jones went 13/19 for 146 yards.
But now Jones gets a day of live reps with the first team against what looks to be a talented Giants’ defense, at least on paper. If Jones performs well with the first team in joint practices, he could be within earshot of the starting job.
If both players play this Saturday against the Giants in their preseason game, that would suggest that Bill Belichick has yet to make up his mind.
Frustration from the team
On Tuesday morning, a tweet from Michael Giardi of the NFL Network piqued the interest of everyone perusing the site.
“Per sources, there is a level of frustration internally with the Cam Newton situation. One important member of the organization believes this has ‘opened’ a window of opportunity for rookie Mac Jones. The team practices today and then with the NYG tomorrow b4 Newton can return.”
This has more to it than the normal “a source tells me some are frustrated with the situation.” No, having an “important member of the organization” speak out saying he believes this opened the door for Jones is eye-popping.
Belichick himself admitted that this is a good opportunity for Jones. The Patriots’ organization has spent the past 20+ years taking advantage of every loophole and competitive advantage possible. At times, they’ve even crossed the line.
It’s hard to imagine Belichick, no matter his personal beliefs toward the controversial vaccine, would tolerate those putting the team at a competitive disadvantage for any reason.
How this plays out for Newton and Jones
At the end of the day, when the Miami Dolphins travel to New England for the regular-season opener, it’s hard to imagine Jones starting over Newton. However, if problems persist into the regular season, Jones would get his shot at the starting job. If he plays well while also doing everything from a protocol standpoint to stay around the facility, he’ll have a leg up for the rest of 2021.
Originally, it appeared this would be Newton’s job to lose. Whether one agrees with the protocols is unimportant. Teams can’t tolerate competitive disadvantages when winning is the only goal in professional sports.
Dalton Miller is the Lead NFL Analyst at Pro Football Network. You can read more of his work here and follow him @daltonbmiller on Twitter and Twitch.