The 2021 NFL regular season hasn't even begun yet but the Patriots made a huge decision this morning that hopefully brings many more wins and excitement to the franchise both this year and in the near future after last year's complete flop in our first taste of life after Tom Brady. Out of nowhere, quarterback Cam Newton (who had started all three preseason games this summer) was released meaning that rookie Mac Jones will be the starter when the team opens the season a week from Sunday (September 12) at Gillette Stadium vs. the Dolphins at 4:25 p.m. New England head coach Bill Belichick proved that he can still be as ruthless as an old school mob boss since we thought that he was Cam's biggest fan left in the world. It turns out, not so much as the 15th overall pick from Alabama will become the first rookie quarterback to start for the Pats since Drew Bledsoe many moons ago in 1993.
Ultimiately, Newton's time here was short and pretty bizarre from start to finish. He was a late addition in free agency last summer and he started every game but one (when he had Covid-19) as New England sputtered to a 7-9 record. In the offseason, the Pats spent a ton of money to upgrade many parts of their mediocre team including two new high-priced tight ends (Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith) with the purpose of breathing some life into New England's predictable high school style offense. By all accounts, at 32 years old Cam seems like a great guy but the basic observation that quickly appeared last season-that he simply cannot throw the ball anymore-did not magically change in 2021. The fact that he is still not vaccinated yet and recently missed five days of practice after not following protocol for Covid-19 did not help his cause either in my humble opinion. We wish him well in his future endeavors but we are also extremely thankful not to have to watch him slog through another miserable year of turning the ball over and making critical mistakes that led to more losses for the Patriots.
Mac Jones should serve as a breath of fresh air in many ways for a fanbase that wants something to be positive about: he's only 22 years old (!!!) and he comes with Nick Saban-one of Belichick's best friends and most trusted allies-seal of approval. There were five quarterbacks drafted in the first round this year and while nobody would consider Jones to be the most electrifying or talented of that potentially special group, his main attributes (being smart, well prepared and making the correct reads) should mesh well with Belichick's club. He might never be an NFL MVP like Newton was in 2016 but at this moment, it was clear to everyone that Jones should give them a better chance to succeed from day one than Cam. In turn, it also gives fans a little boost of faith that Belichick has not competely lost his mind and he was not stubborn enough to keep running Newton out there again and again for some silly reason.
With all the rosters around the league being cut down to 53 active players today, there were a few other notable moves made by the Patriots: star cornerback Stephon Gilmore will start the season on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list as he continues to rehab from quad surgery meaning that he is out for at least the first six weeks while undrafted rookie kicker Quinn Nordin beat veteran Nick Folk for the starting job. New England has more than a full week of practice left before the season-opener and you know that Belichick will make good use of all that extra time to get guys like Jones and Nordin up to speed. Don't forget that beginning with this season, there is an additional game in the regular season making a winning record like 11-6 or 10-7 something that the Pats should be realistically aiming for along with a playoff spot after missing the postseason in the cursed year of 2020.
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