Bill Belichick on Patriots QBs: 'Competition makes us all better'

By all accounts, the New England Patriots are not holding a quarterback competition involving one-time NFL Most Valuable Player Cam Newton and first-round draft pick Mac Jones. Newton sits comfortably atop the depth chart heading into the preseason opener against the Washington Football Team next Thursday, and it's unclear if Jones can perform well enough over the next several weeks to leapfrog the 32-year-old. 

According to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, coach Bill Belichick told reporters Thursday the process is helping both signal-callers improve this summer. 

"Cam’s getting better every day. Mac is getting better every day. They are pushing each other," Belichick explained. "Competition makes us all better, so it’s been healthy and we’ll see how it goes." 

PFT's Myles Simmons noted earlier in the day that Jones has recently received more practice reps than Newton, and Belichick's latest comments suggest he hasn't completely taken a camp quarterback battle off the table. On Wednesday, however, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels remarked that the team's offense was making "more sense" to Newton as he prepares for his second regular season with the franchise, presumably as its starter.