On Thursday, it was widely reported Bill Belichick told the Patriots that Cam Newton would be the starting quarterback.
Naturally, on a video conference with the coach Friday, Belichick was asked of the announcement, but he wouldn’t acknowledge it.
“We’re not naming any starters at any positions,” he said. “Any conversations that I have with the team will stay between me and the team. We’re not naming any rosters or starters or positions or who’s on the team or anything else like that.”
Belichick almost never announces any decisions like that, which is why it was unusual that he reportedly made that announcement to the team.
What is official is that Newton will be one of the Patriots team captains.
“It wasn’t a decision,” Belichick said. “The captains are voted on by the team. Players that they elected are the players that they obviously want to represent them in various capacities that come with those positions.”
The other captains are: David Andrews, James White, Matthew Slater, Devin McCourty, Jason McCourty, Lawrence Guy and Ja’Whaun Bentley.