Kyle Van Noy reveals when Mac Jones won over Patriots teammates

When the New England Patriots drafted Mac Jones, the consensus reaction amongst fans was excitement, even though it was widely surmised that he’d spend most of his rookie year serving as Cam Newton’s backup.

When the preseason dust settled, though, Newton was sent packing and Jones was indirectly named the Patriots’ starter.

Jones and Newton battled for the job at training camp, and all reports indicated Jones was nipping at the former MVP’s heels.

With that in mind, it’s possible the first-year quarterback would’ve won the job even if Newton was available for the entirety of camp.

So, when did Jones finally assert himself in the eyes of his teammates? If you asked Kyle Van Noy, he’d tell you the tide shifted when Newton missed a pivotal week of practice in August while in COVID-19 protocols.

Patriots LB Kyle Van Noy recalled the moment he realized Mac Jones was ready to be the starter.

"“What’s been impressive I would say with Mac is, and I don’t want this to sound bad or anything, but when Cam was out for that week, and it was the day before we went against the Giants (in joint practices), he was balling against us,” Van Noy said during an appearance on “Green Light with Chris Long.” “It was like, ‘Oh, this dude’s good.’ “"

If you remember, this was a huge week of practice for the Patriots. Newton’s supposed misunderstanding of COVID protocols paved the way for Jones to receive all the first-team reps in the joint sessions with the Giants and the Alabama product took full advantage of the opportunity.

While Jones took a step back in the second joint practice, his performance on Day 1 was all the evidence Van Noy needed to realize Jones was legit. That day, Jones finished 35-of-40, completed 18 consecutive passes at one point and hit Jakobi Meyers in double coverage for a long touchdown during the two-minute drill.

A week later, Newton was released.

Here we are, four months later, and Jones has helped the Patriots reclaim their spot as the AFC’s No. 1 seed. He’s currently on pace to set the rookie record for completion rate (70.3%) and is Pro Football Focus’ sixth-highest graded QB (83.0).

Like we said earlier, it’s possible Jones would have beaten Newton out anyway. However, Van Noy’s comments prove all Jones needed was a couple days of working with the first team to pull away from the veteran.

Given how everything has played out, Patriots fans might look back at Newton’s misunderstanding of COVID protocols as a turning point in the franchise’s history.

Really makes you wonder where the Patriots would be if Newton wasn’t excused to attend that medical appointment.

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