NEW ERA: PATRIOTS NAME
For the first time in nearly two decades, the Patriots will hit opening day with a new starter under center.
That starter is Cam Newton.
Newton was informed during a team meeting Thursday before practice, a league source confirmed to the Herald. He was also voted one of three offensive captains by his teammates. Newton outperformed Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer throughout training camp for the right to succeed Tom Brady.
He completed a higher percentage of passes in live team periods than Hoyer and recorded half as many interceptions as Stidham, despite throwing double the number of passes. Newton also adds a new dimension to the Pats’ run game, as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history.
He will lead the Patriots against the Dolphins in their Sept. 13 season opener at Gillette Stadium at 1 p.m.
The former MVP officially joined the Pats in early July after being released from Carolina, where he played the first nine years of his career. Faced with an unusually poor free-agent market, he signed a oneyear, prove-it deal. From then on, Newton quickly won over teammates and coaches in Foxboro.
It started with his health. Injuries to Newton’s shoulder and foot prematurely ended his last two seasons and required surgery in Carolina.
With the Patriots, Newton opened training camp in perfect health, showcasing a strong arm and dangerous running ability during practices.
Inside the locker room, teammates were drawn to his effervescence.
“Cam has been a joy to be around. He brings positive energy to work every day. He loves his job. He’s just a fun guy to be around,” special teams captain Matthew Slater said recently. “I’m glad that we’ve gotten a chance to spend some time with him as a teammate and really get to know him.”
At training camp practices, Newton could be seen dancing every day during stretching and engaging with teammates on both sides of the ball. He developed handshakes with each of his wide receivers and worked together in side sessions during special teams periods. Newton celebrated his big plays, as well as Stidham’s and Hoyer’s, never letting a quiet moment pass outside Gillette Stadium.
“Anybody who knows me knows it’s all about a vibe that you have to set and you curate. And in essence, you want to change that word vibe, (so) it more or less becomes the standard,” Newton said last week. “Walking into this locker room, it’s been such a good energy here that I just want to make sure that I do my part. And even though we may have a lackluster day offensively, it’s just my job as one of the default leaders in my position to make sure that everybody knows we