Patriots' Mac Jones shines in Cam Newton's absence during practice with Giants

New England Patriots veteran quarterback and presumed starter Cam Newton is currently away from the team because of an alleged "misunderstanding" regarding the league's COVID-19 policies that opened the door for rookie Mac Jones to receive some first-team reps during the midweek and throughout Wednesday's joint practice with the New York Giants. 

Jones didn't throw away his shot to impress head coach Bill Belichick. 

According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, Jones completed 35 of 40 passes in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills against the Big Blue defense. The 15th overall selection of this year's NFL Draft hit on 18 straight passes during his hottest portion of the session. 

"He's getting a lot of reps now," running back James White said of the first-year signal-caller. "He's taking control of the huddle and just trying to do the best he can, making sure everybody is on the same page so we can go out there and execute not just for one period, but throughout the entire practice." 

It was reported Tuesday morning that "there is a level of frustration internally" regarding Newton's unplanned absence, so much so that it was suggested Jones could potentially leapfrog the one-time NFL Most Valuable Player on the depth chart by the end of the month. Newton is scheduled to return to practice Thursday ahead of Sunday's preseason finale against the Giants, and it was assumed as of Wednesday morning the 32-year-old would resume his role as QB1 before the weekend. 

New England opens the regular season with a home game against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 12. One wonders if Belichick won't announce his starting quarterback for that showdown until after Labor Day weekend.