Patriots' Mac Jones: Starter not yet named
Coach Bill Belichick noted Sunday that he isn't quite ready to name his Week 1 starting QB between Cam Newton and Jones, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
To that point, Belichick noted after Sunday's preseason finale that the Patriots "still have a lot of decisions to make." That said, given that Newton started Sunday and played two series, all with New England's starters, before Jones took over and saw action deep into the third quarter, all with the backups, it would appear as though the team may be leaning toward rolling with the more experienced Newton early on this season. In that scenario, Jones would begin his pro career in a backup capacity, but the 2021 first-rounder nonetheless is a promising prospect who will eventually claim New England's starting job. Whether that occurs in the event that Newton is unavailable at some point this season due to injury or COVID-19 protocols, or simply due to the team's coaching staff looking to spark the offense, this will remain a QB situation to monitor even after a Week 1 starter is named.
