For the bulk of the offseason, all signs pointed to the starting quarterback job in New England being Jarrett Stidham’s to lose.
That’s no longer the case.
The Patriots’ signal-caller group now also includes Cam Newton, who was signed by the team on a one-year deal earlier this month. Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP and a three-time Pro Bowl selection, is arriving to Foxboro with a significant chip on his shoulder, and he should win the gig if he’s healthy.
Of course, nothing is set in stone. The Patriots seem to like what they have in Stidham, and the 2019 fourth-rounder, at a minimum, has a year in New England under his belt. But regardless of how this QB battle shakes out, the addition of Newton probably didn’t do any favors for Brian Hoyer, who ESPN’s Mike Reiss believes now is on the roster bubble.
“If Cam Newton emerges as the Patriots’ starter, with Jarrett Stidham entering his second year with the team, where does that leave Hoyer?” Reiss wrote. “The Patriots could always keep three quarterbacks, especially with COVID-19 considerations in mind, but coach Bill Belichick traditionally prefers to go with two.”
Considering New England has a greater need for depth at positions other than quarterback, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if Hoyer is among the cuts ahead of the 2020 season.
