New England Patriots Starting QB: Bill Belichick says "Cam Newton's our starting quarterback" over Mac Jones

With training camp under way, there is one big question bound to be asked in New England: who will be the Patriots starting QB in 2021?

After 20 years of being led by Tom Brady, the Patriots got off to a rough start once he left. They finished the year with a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs, landing 3rd place in the AFC East, a division they’re used to dominating.

Although their lack of success boils down to a lot of factors, QB Cam Newton certainly takes some of the blame. He threw for 2,567 yards and gave up 10 interceptions while only recording 8 passing TDs.

However, in fairness, the former league MVP was unlucky to test positive for COVID-19 mid-season and his 12 rushing TDs were definitely appreciated. In the long term though, it’s obvious the Patriots are looking for a better solution at the position.

This was made clear by the team’s decision to draft Alabama QB Mac Jones with the 15th overall pick in the draft, a move that strays pretty far from their drafting history.

With 2 QBs who are both in the race and worthy of the starting job, training camp seems like the best time for Belichick and his staff to evaluate their options.

So far, it looks like the Patriots are planning to start Newton, and give Jones time to develop in the hopes of him becoming the next franchise QB.

Patriots Starting QB 2021: Bill Belichick says “Cam’s our starting quarterback”

Speaking to reporters assessing players in general, Belichick said, “We’ll take a look at the whole situation. I don’t think you want to evaluate players at any position off of one or two plays or maybe a day.”

“From a consistency standpoint, that’s always important, and obviously production. Hopefully those things will be good, and I’m sure it will be a hard decision. But we’ll see how it goes. Let ’em play and try to do what we feel like is best for the team based on their performance.”

When prompted about the timeline for naming a starting QB, he answered “No. I mean, Cam’s our starting quarterback, I think I’ve said that.”