Patriots: Did Cam Newton just face his next team in preseason opener?

Considering all of the hype surrounding New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones in the preseason opener against the Washington Football Team, it’s easy to forget that Cam Newton actually started that game and is likely going to begin the year under center.

While Cam does have an MVP and several NFL records to his name, he is 32 years old, and the selection of Jones means that the Patriots will inevitably look to turn the page on the Newton era.

While his skills are declining and Jones on the rise, that’s no reason to assume that his career is over.

In fact, Newton could potentially end up joining Washington in 2022. After all, WFT head coach Ron Rivera was Cam’s head coach for the first nine seasons of his career, and it remains unclear what the plan is for 2022 and beyond at the quarterback position in DC.

Newton clearly has a ton of love and respect for his former coach, as he went straight over to Rivera to chat with him before he took the field on Thursday.

When the Patriots make the move to Jones, who could usher in a new decade of success in New England, will Newton link back up with Rivera in Washington?

Will Cam Newton join Washington if he leaves the Patriots?

Washington will likely lean on Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starting quarterback this season, but his age and roller-coaster play should frighten everyone. Taylor Heinicke showed promise in the postseason, but is one game enough to hand him the keys? The 2022 quarterback draft class is much weaker than the 2021 class.

With Washington likely to lean on their solid defense to carry them to wins in a winnable NFC East, adding Newton might not be the worst thing in the world. If he proves he can stay healthy this year, he could end up in Washington, though his role would still be up in the air.

Say that Washington drafts a quarterback in the first round. That’s fine! Newton has clearly shown an interest in developing and mentoring Jones, so having him as the backup while the hypothetical first-rounder learns the ropes in the NFL could be an invaluable asset to have.

Say Rivera wants Cam to start? That’s fine, too! He may have declined a bit in New England, but a guy with his resume is a better option as a starter when compared to a decrepit Fitzpatrick or Heinicke.

Newton might not be aging as gracefully as we thought he would when he was in Carolina, but even if New England moves on relatively soon in favor of Jones, he’ll land on his feet elsewhere. Be it as a starter or backup, a Washington reunion makes a ton of sense.

New England Patriots: 3 preseason worries no one is talking about

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