The Patriots reportedly did not overcomplicate things as they decided who their starting quarterback would be for the 2021 NFL season.
We learned Tuesday morning who will reside atop New England's signal-caller depth chart. Cam Newton reportedly was released hours before the 4 p.m. ET roster cutdown deadline, paving the way for Mac Jones to claim the starting job in Foxboro.
Many assumed Newton's vaccination status played a role in his reported release. The 2015 NFL MVP was outed as unvaccinated last week when he was forced to be away from the Patriots for five days due to a COVID-19 protocol "misunderstanding." But according to NFL Network's Michael Giardi, New England's long-awaited QB decision was based purely on who earned it on the field.
"There was a lot of momentum building toward the release of Cam Newton but first and foremost this was about performance," Giardi tweeted. "Mac Jones was better for the duration of the summer. He runs the offense the way Josh McDaniels wants it run. Period. End of story."
Winning a starting job is no small feat in the NFL, especially for a rookie. But it's only Step 1 for Jones, who now is tasked with trying to prove his coaches made the right call.
