New England Patriots

Mac Jones to start in New England after Patriots reportedly release Cam Newton

Updated Aug. 31, 2021 1:00 p.m. ET

The New England Patriots reportedly have released last year's starting quarterback, Cam Newton, paving the way for rookie Mac Jones to be their Week 1 starter under center.

Following Sunday's 22-20 win in their NFL preseason finale against the New York Giants, Belichick said the Pats "still have a lot of decisions to make" when asked about the QB position.

So much for Bill Belichick dragging things out.

That decision has been made as of Tuesday, with Jones unseating Newton over the course of training camp and preseason.

A lot certainly can change in a month, as Belichick considered the 32-year-old Newton the starter in late July.

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Since then, however, the Patriots have had three preseason games to get a more refined look at their quarterback situation.

Although Newton started all three of those games and played sparingly compared to Jones, the rookie continued to impress game after game.

All told, here is how each QB fared in three preseason games:

Newton: Seven drives, 66.7% completion percentage, 162 passing yards, 7.7 yards per pass attempt, one TD, one INT, 85.8 passer rating, zero times sacked
Jones: 17 drives, 69.2% completion percentage, 389 passing yards, 7.5 yards per pass attempt, one TD, zero INT, 97.4 passer rating, five times sacked

Jones really stepped up in Sunday's game against the Giants, too. He went 10-for-14 for 156 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions and a 131.8 passer rating.

He showed urgency and command of the offense that belied his age ⁠— he's currently 22 years old and will be 23 on Sept. 6.

Look no further than New England's first touchdown of Sunday's game, on which Jones looked off the safety in the red zone to thread a dart between three Giants defenders to Isaiah Zuber for a touchdown.

Skip Bayless of "Undisputed" said he was "surprised but not shocked" by the move, considering how Jones played in the preseason.

Furthermore, Jones seized a big opportunity in the week leading up to Sunday's game against the Giants.

With Newton (who is unvaccinated) absent due to a misunderstanding about COVID-19 protocols, Jones reportedly carved up New York in joint-practice scrimmages between the Giants and Patriots.

Bayless also contended that if Newton isn't the starter, it doesn't make sense for him to be a backup.

Shannon Sharpe echoed those thoughts about Newton not being a fit as No. 2 while adding that Jones "played unbelievable."

Many believed it was just a matter of time before Jones, the No. 15 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, took over for Newton in New England.

That time is now, apparently, as Belichick hands over the reins to a rookie signal-caller for just the second time in his coaching tenure in New England.

It's a distinction that not even the great Tom Brady can claim. The only other rookie QB to start in the regular season for the Pats under Belichick was Jacoby Brissett in 2016, and he got the call after Brady was suspended and Jimmy Garoppolo suffered an injury.

A rookie QB has never started a Week 1 game for Belichick in New England. However, unless something drastic happens between now and the Patriots' season-opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 12, that streak will end.

Here is how others in the sports world reacted to the news of Newton being cut:

This is a developing story.

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