Belichick yet to name Pats’ Week 1 starting QB

While Bill Belichick has repeatedly told the media Cam Newton is his starting quarterback, he hasn’t conveyed that message to Newton for the team’s season opener.

That’s what the former MVP told reporters Monday after the Patriots’ first joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Newton initially dodged the question, saying “you know the answer to that.” But when pressed further about whether Belichick’s previous declarations about him starting pertain to Week 1, Newton said no before adding: “Y’all sitting up here asking silly questions to me, and I’m looking at y’a’ll with the same thing. I don’t know what ya’ll want me to say. You know he hasn’t said that, so for you to just ask the question, it is what it is.”

Against the Eagles, Newton went 13-of-21 in live team drills with an interception. The pick came in the end zone, ending one of his better stretches on the day. He also had three other passes broken up, as he continues to hold the ball too long. Rookie Mac Jones, meanwhile, wasn’t much better going 17-of25 with several balls nearly intercepted.

Jones likewise dodged a question about whether starting Week 1 is his goal.

“You never know when your time’s going to come, so I’m just ready to keep working,” the rookie said. “Obviously, I have a lot of work to do. That’s very clear. But I’m going to keep working every day.”

Newton was more expansive with his answer, reaffirming his status as the team’s starter — for now.

“I don’t take (your questions) personal. I just want you guys to understand, everything y’all know, I know,” he said. “There’s no hidden motives or things like that. I do know those things like that, I can’t worry about. Because each and every day, I don’t necessarily care about who’s starting, I mostly care about making sure I put the best product out there for me, and I know Mac (Jones) is feeling the same way.”

Newton also clarified that a recent Instagram post — captioned “I’m far from perfect but loyalty . . . I deserve it” — had

nothing to do with fans’ perception of his ongoing position battle or football at all.

“That statement wasn’t about football, it was more so as a human,” Newton explained. “I’m a person who is away from my kids a lot … away from my family a lot, away from my friends a lot, away from the people who know me the most a lot … and I’m not perfect by that. That was what I was meaning by that.”