Patriots reportedly name Cam Newton starting quarterback
Newton beat Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer for the job.
Cam Newton has won the Patriots’ starting quarterback battle.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick announced the decision to start Newton at quarterback during a team meeting Thursday morning, according to the Boston Globe’s Jim McBride.
Newton was in a three-way battle with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer for the starting job.
In addition to winning the starting quarterback job, Newton was also named one of the Patriots’ eight captains for the season.
𝟮 𝟬 𝟮 𝟬 𝗣 𝗔 𝗧 𝗥 𝗜 𝗢 𝗧 𝗦 𝗖 𝗔 𝗣 𝗧 𝗔 𝗜 𝗡 𝗦 pic.twitter.com/Hyvc7QzPEW
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 3, 2020
Newton reacted to the news of being named a captain on Instagram.
“Deat New England,” Newton wrote. “I will not and do not take this opportunity for granted!! I’m grateful for this organization, my teammates, and this city; thank you!!
“No need to look back now…LFG!!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEsJ28ohl-I/
Newton started just two games for the Panthers in 2019 before missing the rest of the season due to a Lisfranc fracture. He threw for 572 yards and an interception in those two games.
After he was released by the Panthers in March, Newton officially signed a one-year deal with the Patriots on July 8.
Belichick, who affirmed as late as Monday that he hadn’t made a decision on who will be the team’s starting quarterback, had high praise for Newton’s work ethic in training camp.
“I can see why he had the kind of success he had at Auburn and Carolina,” Belichick said on Sirius XM’s NFL radio. “Talking to people who were with him there, the things they said about him at Auburn and at Carolina from a decade ago or two to three years ago or even last year, it’s all the same and it showed up here.
“He’s an extremely hard worker. Nobody works harder than Cam does. He’s here early, he stays late, and he works very hard.”
The Patriots begin the 2020 season at home against the Dolphins on Sept. 13. It will mark the first time that Tom Brady hasn’t been the Patriots’ starting quarterback since Week 4 of the 2016 season. It’s also just the fourth time that the Patriots will have a starting quarterback not named Brady in the season-opener in Belichick’s 21 seasons as head coach.
Get Boston.com's browser alerts:
Enable breaking news notifications straight to your internet browser.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com