It is now Cam Newton’s team in New England. According to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe, Newton is officially the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots. Head coach Bill Belichick announced the news to his team on Thursday, saying Newton won the spot over Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer.
Not only is Newton the starting QB, but he is also a team captain. According to Field Yates of ESPN, Newton was voted one of the three Patriots offensive captains. The other two are running back James White and center David Andrews. Newton signed with the Patriots in June after being released by the Carolina Panthers in March.
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“Nobody works harder than Cam does,” Belichick on SiriusXM NFL Radio this week. “Cam’s the type of player that works on things that he’s not as good at, and really tries to improve daily. And that’s something I really respect about him. That’s not easy for players — really, any of us to do.” Newton is looking to bounce back after a brought 2019 season. He only played in two games because of a foot injury, which led to the Panthers winning only five games. Newton was not happy with the Panthers cutting him but is glad he’s now a member of the Patriots.
“It’s just a breath of fresh air, to be honest with you,” Newton said in August. “It’s a challenge that I have to expect each and every day. But no challenge is ever gonna be greater than the challenge, a personal challenge, that I challenge myself personally. We all know what that was and what that is, and it needs no mention.”
Newton has some significant shoes to fill as he’s replacing Tom Brady, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March. Brady was the Patriots starting QB from 2001-2019 and led the team to nine Super Bowl appearances with six Super Bowl wins. The Patriots didn’t draft a quarterback in April, which led to them taking a chance on Newton.
During his time with the Panthers, Newton won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2011 and the MVP award in 2015. Also, in 2015, Newton led the Panthers to the Super Bowl but lost to the Denver Broncos. In his career, Newton has thrown for 29,041 yards and 182 touchdowns while rushing for 4,806 yards and 58 touchdowns.
