Cam Newton doesn't consider himself Patriots starting QB yet

Just by watching Patriots training camp, one can infer that Cam Newton probably will be New England's starting quarterback come Week 1. 

However, the former Carolina Panthers signal-caller hasn't dubbed himself the winner of the quarterback competition just yet. 

“Absolutely not," Newton said in a video conference call with reporters on Wednesday, according to WEEI's Ryan Hannable. "Every day is a work day for me. That label is not important to me right now. I have so much I need to get better at, so much that I need to learn, so much that I need to be comfortable with. Throughout this process, that is the last thing I am pretty much worried about knowing that there are certain things when I come to the line of scrimmage and it is just not firing mentally as I would want it to rather than other plays that may be called.

"I see a person like Hoyster (Brian Hoyer) go to the line and he’s just as sharp as he can be. From me asking him questions and him answering them, and Stiddy and things like that, there’s things that I know I need to become better at. Until I get those things done, everything else is irrelevant.”

Newton certainly would love to become New England's starter in the post-Tom Brady era, but he wasn't guaranteed the starting position and will have to beat out Jarrett Stidham to become QB1.

Newton played just two games last season after suffering a foot injury and wasn't great during the 2018 campaign, so it remains to be seen whether or not he has enough left in the tank. However, he has seen a majority of the reps in 11-on-11 work, seemingly looking better than both Stidham and the veteran Hoyer. Stidham is dealing with a hip injury as well, so that could be why he hasn't seen many reps. 

If Newton beats out the 24-year-old Stidham, it won't be that surprising — especially because Newton has made 124 career starts, has a Super Bowl appearance and was the league's MVP.