How much does Cam Newton's COVID absence open door for Mac Jones?
If you haven't heard it already, the Patriots aren't happy with Cam Newton right now.
Even coming off the impressive preseason outing he had against the Eagles last week, Newton is in hot water with the team regarding his COVID-19 vaccination status. Even though Newton appeared to solidify his QB1 status against Philadelphia, his current absence due to COVID protocols is giving the battle between him and rookie Mac Jones some added fuel ahead of the preseason finale against the New York Giants.
Exactly how much of a boost is this going to give Jones with regard to the starting QB job?
Not surprisingly, head coach Bill Belichick didn't help shed much light on the situation.
"Our entire team has opportunities every day, all the way through the week, against the Giants and in the game," he said via ESPN. "I hope we can all take advantage of those opportunities."
Vague responses to the press's questions are typically Belichick's bread and butter — although he was fairly vocal early on in camp about the QB1 role being Newton's to lose. Did Newton's "misunderstanding" of the league's COVID protocols make that loss more likely?
It's difficult to say ahead of the final preseason contest. Even though Newton is expected to return to practice on Thursday ahead of the preseason finale against New York, Jones has been taking top repetitions over the last two days of practice. It's fair to wonder if new England's first-round pick will spend more time under center this weekend with all the work he's putting in.
Of course, that's just speculation for now, and Belichick could have a whole plan he's simply refusing to tell the media about. Nevertheless, Newton's absence this week looks to give Jones a huge opportunity.
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