To many fans’ surprise (and elation for others) Cam Newton has been officially released by the Patriots, and if all continues as expected, Mac Jones will be the starter. Quite honestly, this leaves me with a few more questions than answers.

We’ve learned (according to Belichick) that this had nothing to do with Cam’s vaccination status, so toss that speculation out the window. We’ve also learned that the Patriots have released Brian Hoyer as well. Keep in mind, however, that this is not the first time the Pats have “released” Hoyer only to bring him back later in the year because what would the NFL season be without Belichick and the Patriots exploiting a loophole in the rules.

I think the most shocking aspect in all of this is we visibly saw just how much Cam had worked and improved during the offseason. His preseason performances were incredibly promising and (at least for me) provided hope for a better season. Was it a drastic improvement? It’s hard to say considering the amount of snaps he saw through the three preseason games. But it was certainly noticeable.

Lest we also forget that Jarrett Stidham is still on the Patriots roster currently on the PUP (physically unable to participate) list. I honestly believe that is the most eyebrow-raising part of this story. In my eyes, the Patriots have expressed time and again that they still do not believe Stidham is worthy of game time. Close your eyes, picture every scenario where they could have put in Stidham last season and didn’t. Now open your eyes. Surprise: he’s still here. Why, you may ask? I don’t have an answer for you.

All of this is not my way of saying I don’t trust or have faith in Mac Jones. Jones has proven through all three preseason games that he can at the very least hang with second-string NFLers and run a clean, organized offensive huddle. But remember who the Pats also played against: Philadelphia, Washington, and the Giants… not exactly the NFL’s most testing defenses. Once the regular season kicks off for New England on September 12th, I believe that will be the most telling story of how the Mac Jones era will be told.

My way-too-early prediction: the Pats will make the postseason and finish second in the AFC East with the Bills repeating as AFC East champions.

P.S. There’s also a new kicker in town: Quinn Nordin has officially beat out Nick Folk in another all-time Belichick move.

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