New England Patriots fans shouldn't hold their breath for rookie quarterback Mac Jones to start the regular season opener. The leading role currently belongs to incumbent veteran Cam Newton, as head coach Bill Belichick said on Monday that "somebody would have to play better than him."
Of course, nothing is set in stone. But former Patriots tight end and current Boston sports radio host Jermaine Wiggins guarantees that Newton and his improved supporting cast will resemble a true playoff contender this season.
"I expect him to have a good year and lead this team to the playoffs," Wiggins told The Zach Gelb Show on Monday. "When you think about Cam Newton and the talent that he now has around him, it's all on him -- there's no more excuses. He had a whole training camp, he had the offseason, he had a preseason to prepare.
"So, it's all about Cam, and that's the most important thing. I think if he does those things, they'll be fine... I put [my confidence level] at 100, 100-percent. I believe they're good enough to make the playoffs. And then when you start to look at the other teams in the AFC, I think they're one of the seven best teams in the AFC."
Newton's numbers in 2020 weren't up to snuff. In 15 games, the 32-year-old threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (8), and his 47.0 quarterback rating was the second-lowest mark of his career, when counting complete seasons played. Consequently, the Patriots finished 7-9 overall, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
A new wrinkle was added to New England's quarterback battle on Monday. The team announced that Newton must sit out half of this week's practices due to what's being called a "misunderstanding" about COVID-19 testing requirements. Newton, who isn't vaccinated, happened to be one of the first big-time names to test positive for the virus -- he missed 10 days last fall.
New England will open the 2021 season at home against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 12. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, the Patriots currently have the third-best odds (+350) to win the AFC East, and the sixth-best odds (+1500) to win the conference.
The entire Patriots conversation between Wiggins and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.