NFL Analyst Believes This Short-Term Deal Will Pay Off For Patriots

One of the first contracts the Patriots handed out this past offseason came as a surprise to some.

Despite struggling for the majority of his first season in New England, Cam Newton was brought back by Bill Belichick and Co. on a one-year deal. The Patriots a month later drafted their potential quarterback of the future in Mac Jones, and the two now are entrenched in a battle for the starting job.

NFL analyst Gil Brandt in a recent column published to NFL.com acknowledged Jones very well could be New England’s Week 1 starter, despite his rookie status. But if Newton’s given the opportunity, Brandt believes the 2015 NFL MVP will redeem himself in Foxboro.

“If rookie Mac Jones manages to seize the No. 1 job before the regular season starts, then this blurb will be moot,” Brandt wrote. “But while Jones is showing promising signs of taking over under center relatively soon, and Newton’s recent absence from the team due to a mix-up over COVID-19 testing protocols was certainly a setback, I believe Newton will still ultimately be given the first chance to lead the offense. And, while I’ll admit this ranking is a bit bullish, I’m optimistic the former MVP will rebound from a lackluster 2020 in his second season in coordinator Josh McDaniels’ offense, with a far better supporting cast than he had last season. The cost of his one-year pact will be well worth it if Newton can orchestrate a revival in 2021, even if he does manage to boost his pay via incentives.”

The incentives in his one-year contract shouldn’t be the only things motivating Newton this season. If the 32-year-old once again struggles, it could signal the end of his days as a starter in the league.