Cam Newton is out in New England.
The Patriots surprisingly released the former MVP ahead of Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline — indicating that rookie Mac Jones has won the team’s starting quarterback job.
Newton, 31, signed with the Patriots last season and started in 15 games, but the Patriots missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. New England, too, drafted Jones out of Alabama with the 15th overall pick.
Still, Newton was largely expected by most analysts to be the team’s starter this season, at least at the beginning. But according to multiple reports, Jones had an impressive training camp — notably taking advantage of the first-team reps when given the chance.
Newton didn’t help matters when the quarterback was forced to sit out a mandatory five days because of the league’s COVID-19 protocols. The Patriots said Newton had a “misunderstanding” regarding the testing protocols when he traveled to a team-approved medical visit out of state. Newton reportedly got his COVID-19 testing done outside an NFL medical facility, a violation of the league’s rules.
That opened the door for Jones to get valuable time with the starters in joint practices against the New York Giants.
After joining the Patriots in 2020, Newton hardly resembled the MVP-caliber quarterback he used to be with the Carolina Panthers. Slowed by shoulder and foot injuries in recent years, he threw for 2,657 yards and just eight touchdowns to 10 interceptions last season.
Newton, the first overall pick in 2011, spent the first nine years of his career in Carolina, winning the MVP for the 2015 season.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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