Bill Belichick confirms Patriots will have QB competition in training camp

When the New England Patriots signed Cam Newton, he didn't automatically become QB1.

With Jarrett Stidham waiting in the wings, Bill Belichick feels inclined to give the second-year quarterback a legitimate shot at winning the starting role. 

Although it'll be hard for Stidham to beat out a former MVP in Newton, Belichick essentially confirmed that the two will be battling for the starting position. 

"That spot is the same as all the other spots on the team. We have a long way to go. We'll see how things turn out," Belichick said, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss. "I can't control how players perform; that's up to them. We'll give everyone an opportunity and see what happens. I don't know."

While Stidham won't go down without a fight, many Patriots wide receivers seem to already be buying into Newton becoming QB1. 

Julian Edelman, Jakobi Meyers, Damiere Byrd, N'Keal Harry and Gunner Olszewski all worked out with Newton on Friday. We haven't seen anything similar to this with Stidham, though Newton is far more established player.