One former Patriots quarterback doesn’t think Cam Newton will be taking the first snap come Week 1 at Gillette Stadium.
In light of limited offseason team activities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and Newton’s late free-agency signing, Scott Zolak thinks head coach Bill Belichick is going to start 2019 fourth-rounder Jarrett Stidham over the 2015 NFL MVP.
“I believe Jarrett’s gonna be the starter, from the people I’ve talked to,” Scott Zolak said on “Zolak & Bertrand” on Tuesday. “People that I trust, players, people tied to the team, team captains. The way they speak of Jarrett Stidham and the work he has put in.”
Zolak, 52, was selected in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft from the University of Maryland. He played for the Patriots for eight seasons, the vast majority of which was spent as the team’s backup behind 1993 No. 1 overall pick, Drew Bledsoe.
If healthy, Newton would probably beat out largely untested, 23-year-old Stidham on the depth chart. The former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick from the 2011 NFL Draft has thrown for 29,041 career yards and 182 touchdowns, and has 4,806 rushing yards and 58 rushing touchdowns. In contrast, Stidham has appeared in three games and completed two of four attempts for 14 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception.
To Zolak’s point, however, the 31-year-old is facing a significant challenge on the road to replacing Patriots beloved signal-caller Tom Brady, who joined the Buccaneers this offseason after a historic, 20-year run with the team. In that span, Brady, 42, won six Super Bowl championships, four Super Bowl MVP awards, three NFL MVP awards and was named to 14 Pro Bowl teams.
“I just don’t know if Cam Newton is gonna do this in 35 days and be ready to go unless it’s some completely different offense that’s going to run at 40% efficiency,” Zolak added.
Before signing with the Patriots in late June, Newton had spent his entire nine-year NFL career with the Panthers. He will have to learn an entirely new playbook for the first time and adapt to the Belichick system under an abbreviated timeline.
The oft-banged up QB is also recovering from surgery he underwent after suffering a Lisfranc injury, coincidentally against his new squad, which was enough to deter at least some interested parties during the quarterback free agency shuffle.
Newton remains optimistic he can improve under Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
“I’ll be the first person to tell you: These last two years I haven’t been putting on the best film on tape. That’s just honest,” he said during a roundtable on Monday. “What [Brady] was, what he is, is great. Needs no even talking about it. But one thing about it though: Coach McDaniels, you’re able to call some stuff that you ain’t ever been able to call now.”