In some folks' eyes, the quarterback "battle" in New England was locked up the second that Cam Newton agreed to a one-year deal with the Patriots on Sunday, bumping veteran Brian Hoyer and second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham out of the race and to backup status. Of course, that's hardly the case for Bill Belichick as he'll likely wait and see what happens over the course of training camp and the preseason before coming to that ultimate decision, and that's likely why at least one other coach in the division isn't penciling Newton in as the Week 1 starter.
"I think they are going to keep three QBs," an AFC East head coach told ESPN's Dianna Russini via text. "Use Cam Newton perhaps as the wild card. I actually don't see him starting Week 1 in the offense ... I know one thing for a fact: the Patriots love Jarrett Stidham."
Despite the unknown surrounding Stidham, who appeared in just three regular-season games for the Patriots in 2019 and is most remembered for throwing a pick-six against the Jets, he shouldn't be so swiftly discounted as the potential starter in New England. In the aftermath of the Newton signing, Jeff Howe of The Athletic cited a source saying that the arrival of Newton "has nothing to do with Stidham's performance." One could make the case that the price simply got so team-friendly for Newton that it'd be silly for the Patriots to not bring him aboard to see if he can recapture his MVP form from 2015. If he isn't able to, they can simply continue down the original path with Stidham. Just smart business to do the due diligence.
The timing should also be highlighted here as it relates to Newton's chances of playing Week 1. Because we're now in July and training camp is just a few weeks away from starting up, Newton will have to go on a crash course to learn New England's system even if the Patriots do reinvent their offense a bit now that Tom Brady has departed. If Newton can't get up to speed to be ready from the jump, that could give an advantage to Stidham, who backed up Brady all last season, and even Hoyer, who is on his third stint with the club. All that isn't even accounting for potential COVID-19 related alterations we could see later this summer, which would only further throw wrenches into Newton immersing himself in New England.
If all things are equal, however, and everyone remains healthy, Newton is certainly the most talented of the bunch when looking at his prior history. His arrival alone boosted the Patriots' Super Bowl odds (from +2500 to +1800, via William Hill) for 2020 and quite possibly could keep this run with Bill Belichick humming along even in Brady's departure.
So the jury is still out -- and will likely continue to be up in the air all summer -- on whether or not Newton will be the starter when the Patriots take on the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium in Week 1. If talent wins out, however, expect to see Newton sooner rather than later.
