Patriots release Cam Newton; Mac Jones to start Week 1 vs. Dolphins

The New England Patriots are releasing veteran quarterback Cam Newton , according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The move will elevate rookie Mac Jones to the starting position as the Patriots play the Miami Dolphins.

Newton signed a one-year, $5.4 million contract with the Patriots this season after spending last year with New England. The deal had a $1.5 million base salary with a $2 million signing bonus, according to Pelissero. The Patriots will eat $3.5 million in dead money with the release of Newton, but there are offsets in the contract that will allow them to get out of some of that money should the quarterback sign with another team.

The Patriots selected Jones with the 15th-overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. A Jacksonville, Florida native, Jones attended the University of Alabama from 2017 through 2020. He replaced Tua Tagovailoa as the Alabama starting quarterback after the Dolphins selected Tagovailoa in the 2019 NFL Draft. Now, the two players will face each other in the opening game of the 2021 NFL season.

The team will move forward with Jones as the starter, backed up by Brian Hoyer. The team also has Jarrett Stidham on the roster, but he has been on the physically unable to perform list all summer.

For more on the Patriots and their quarterback situation, head over to Pats Pulpit.