The Patriots drafted Mac Jones with the 15th pick in this year’s draft, which means he’ll take over as New England’s starting quarterback at some point in the near future.
But until he does, Cam Newton remains the Patriots’ QB1. And after spending a season with the team, there’s reason to think Newton should perform better in the club’s offense in 2021.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels praised Newton for how hard he’s worked, noting that his signing in July last year created a unique situation as he prepared to start Week One.
“He came back this year at a much different position,” McDaniels said, via Phil Perry of NBCSportsBoston.com. “He has a different grasp of the offense, a different understanding of the terminology. Now we’re working on refining the precision, the details.”
Newton threw for 2,657 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season, while also rushing for 592 yards with 12 TDs. With a dramatically improved receiving corps in 2021, Newton may be able to hold off Jones for some time if his better grasp on the offense translates to positive results during the season.