New England Patriots

Cam Newton? Mac Jones? Patriots in dire straights at QB, Colin Cowherd says

Updated Aug. 18, 2021 4:21 p.m. ET

The days of quarterback stability for the New England Patriots are apparently long gone.

When Tom Brady left the Pats after 20 seasons and joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2020, many wondered who would regret the "divorce" between franchise and franchise QB more.

After Brady won the Super Bowl in his first year with his new team, that inquiry was put to rest, for all intents and purposes.

Brady went 11-5 in the regular season with Tampa Bay, completing 65.7% of his passes for 4,633 yards, 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and clocking in with a passer rating of 102.2.

Contrast that with how New England's 7-9 season went from a quarterbacking perspective, and it's quite stark.

The three quarterbacks who took regular-season snaps for the Pats ⁠— Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer ⁠— completed a combined 59.4% of their passes for 3,043 yards, 10 touchdowns and 14 picks, with an average passer rating of 65.7.

Newton contributed the bulk of those numbers (65.8% completion percentage, 2,657 yards, eight TDs, 10 INTs, 82.9 rating) while adding 592 rushing yards and 12 TDs on the ground.

After one season without Brady, it became clear that Bill Belichick and the Patriots needed to reevaluate their options.

Then, on draft night, the Patriots selected Mac Jones out of Alabama with the 15th overall pick, making him the first QB selected by New England in the first round since Drew Bledsoe in 1993.

In his preseason debut Thursday, Jones went an impressive 13-for-19 passing for 87 yards, no TDs and no INTs, finishing the game against the Washington Football Team with a 78.2 passer rating.

Newton started the game but played just two series, going 4-for-7 for 49 yards before giving way to the rookie toward the end of the first quarter.

Despite Jones' noteworthy debut and Newton's decade of NFL experience ⁠— which includes the 2015 MVP trophy ⁠— Colin Cowherd of "The Herd" said he believes the Pats still have one of the least desirable quarterback situations in the NFL.

"Is there a franchise right now in the NFL that has a worse quarterback situation than New England?" Cowherd asked. "Houston. Philadelphia. Maybe Denver. … You have Cam, a former playmaker who's beat up physically and a shell of his former self. And then you have a kid with a low ceiling who's not really ready to play ⁠— we know that ⁠— but he may instead, Mac Jones."

Colin Cowherd: 'With Cam Newton & Mac Jones, Patriots could have the worst QB situation in the NFL' I THE HERD

According to Colin Cowherd, the New England Patriots might have the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. Hear why Colin believes Tom Brady left New England at the perfect time.

For more up-to-date news on all things "The Herd," click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

For Cowherd, it just "doesn't make sense" for the Patriots to have a pair of quarterbacks with completely different skillsets as their top two options.

And based on the rest of the AFC East, with the Buffalo Bills holding the division crown, the Miami Dolphins on the upswing and the New York Jets finding gems in the draft, it could make for another rough season for Belichick & Co.

"Boy, did Tom Brady pick the perfect time to exit," Cowherd said. "… I have no idea who is starting for New England, and that in itself is a huge problem."

One thing is for certain, however. Brady won't be coming back ⁠— unless you count Week 4, when he'll be suiting up for the Bucs as they visit Gillette Stadium on Oct. 3.

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