Bill Belichick Just Gave Cam Newton the Ultimate Vote of Confidence
The New England Patriots have ventured through nothing short of an intriguing offseason that featured much change. At the center of that has been Cam Newton’s presence as he holds significant influence over the Patriots’ future. With the 2020 season quickly approaching, head coach Bill Belichick has announced a major decision that will impact Newton.
Cam Newton’s new NFL home
It has been a couple of months since Cam Newton found his next home in the NFL with the Patriots.
The transition to his new surroundings and complex playbook has featured its fair share of struggles along the way. Newton has continued to push forward, which has created some significant buzz around the franchise ahead of the 2020 season.
Throughout training camp, the focus has remained on the competition for the starting quarterback job. Bill Belichick has kept the status of the battle for the starting spot largely under wraps. With that in mind, the Patriots have made a significant decision concerning Newton that will drastically impact his role in this upcoming campaign.
Bill Belichick names Cam Newton the starting quarterback
With the start of the 2020 season less than two weeks away, it has shifted the attention around the Patriots toward who will be the starting quarterback.
Bill Belichick has finally decided on the situation as he informed Cam Newton that he earned the position, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe.
The move had come to be expected, given that Newton was already practicing with the first team. Meanwhile, Jarrett Stidham struggled to gather any traction in the competition and missed a few days of practice. Stidham had the early leg up behind his knowledge of the playbook. However, Newton made enough strides in his understanding of the offensive game plan to garner Belichick’s confidence to name him the starter.
The 31-year-old has the opportunity to get back on the saddle as one of the league’s top quarterbacks. He will have the command of the offense behind his dual-threat ability that will provide the Patriots with another element. With that finally set in place, New England can move forward with potentially their next franchise quarterback.
Patriots’ expectations for the 2020 season
For the first time in two decades, the Patriots will operate with a roster that doesn’t feature Tom Brady.
It places a significant onus on Cam Newton to fill that massive void at the quarterback position. Newton will have an interesting group of talent around him that still has questions at wide receiver beyond Julian Edelman. The hope is that second-year wideout N’Keal Harry can emerge as the No.2 option in the passing game, especially after Mohamed Sanu’s release.
The Patriots will have a slew of options in the backfield with Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead, and Damien Harris. New England will also feature a defense that has been ravaged by roster departures and players opting out of playing the 2020 season. For the first time in quite awhile, there is uncertainty around the franchise. Despite all that, they remain the favorites to secure the AFC East division title with the Buffalo Bills as the top challengers.
Newton will play a significant factor in pushing the Patriots forward in what could be a tough season. He has plenty on his shoulders already with what could be his last shot as a starting NFL quarterback. All that makes for an intriguing campaign ahead in New England.
