On Tuesday, the Patriots released Cam Newton and in doing so named rookie Mac Jones the starting quarterback for Week 1 against Miami.
This came as a huge surprise because everything prior to Tuesday indicated Newton would be the starter, despite Jones' strong play this summer.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show Tuesday, former Patriots executive, and good friend of Bill Belichick, Mike Lombardi said Jones came along quicker than the coach anticipated.
“Did he think that Mac would come along this quickly? Obviously, I don’t think that’s true," he said. "I think he felt like Cam could get them through. Now, I do know that in 2022 they felt really good that Mac Jones would be the starter based on what they saw, but this kid kind of has developed. ... I do think they moved quicker than they anticipated. I don't think they wanted to do this. They guaranteed $3.5 million to Cam, but they had to make this decision because this is basically the best player who won the job."
Lombardi also noted for Belichick to make this type of move, the locker room needs to be behind it.
“I think it’s been organic, but look, let’s face it, Cam is a natural born leader and so is Mac Jones. But, Mac’s ability to win over his teammates, Mac’s ability to resonate. You never make a quarterback shift this dramatic unless the team really believes in the guy that you go with," he said. "This is not Belichick making a decision, or Josh McDaniels. This is the team sees it. And you can’t fool the team. You can’t fool the team. The team knows who the best players are. They know who should be playing quarterback, particularly. Because they are at every practice, they watch every throw. They see the team being led.
"So, this was a situation where it became crystal clear and obviously, particularly after the five days against the Giants where he was really good. And then in the preseason game against the Giants where he was really good that Belichick was forced to make a decision.”
Jones will go up against former Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa in Week 1.
