Patriots: Bill Belichick saying Cam Newton has to win QB job is a joke

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Cam Newton has to win starting QB job.

For much of the offseason, the Patriots were left with either 2019 fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham or NFL journeyman Brian Hoyer as the potential immediate successors to franchise legend Tom Brady, who surprisingly spurned New England in free agency a few months back.

Then, however, the Patriots pulled off one of the best signings of the offseason when they landed Cam Newton to presumably take the reins from the six-time champion. While Bill Belichick is renowned for making all players, even superstars, prove that they are worthy of a starting job, most feel Newton is the de facto starter when Week 1 arrives.

However, Belichick is not of that mindset. Speaking with reporters through a video conference on Friday, the 68-year-old proclaimed that the former MVP will have to earn his keep.

“That spot is the same as all the other spots on the team,” Belichick said. “We have a long way to go. We’ll see how things turn out. I can’t control how players perform; that’s up to them. We’ll give everyone an opportunity and see what happens. I don’t know.”

Sorry, Bill, but that’s a load of garbage. We get that you and the Patriots made out like bandits with Newton’s incentive-laden contract, but you didn’t sign the former MVP to let him ride the bench while either one of Stidham or Hoyer runs the offense into the ground.

Unless the Trevor Lawrence conspiracy theories are true — believe us when we say they aren’t — there’s literally zero reason not to have Newton go out there and prove himself.

It’s duly noted that competition in a locker room typically brings out the best in professional athletes, but the three-time Pro Bowler would without a doubt embarrass his new teammates in any contest to win the starting job.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Patriots fans should be sick of hearing that Newton isn’t locked in as the team’s first-string quarterback.

Patriots: Bill Belichick finally discussed Cam Newton and compared him to lacrosse star

We've waited so long to hear Bill Belichick talk about Patriots QB Cam Newton, and he finally did! While discussing lacrosse, of course.