Newton officially starts the Patriots quarterback.
Bill Belichick told his players during a team meeting on Thursday morning that Newton had won a three-way fight with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer, according to league sources.
The former NFL MVP signed a one-year contract with the team on June 28 after being fired by the Carolina Panthers on March 24.
While no decision was made on who would be the starting quarterback against Miami while maintaining during the camp, Belichick was impressed with Newton’s praise earlier this week.
“Why not work harder than Cam,” Belichik said on SiriusXM NFL radio on Monday. “Cam is the type of player who works on things that are not so good and really tries to improve on a daily basis. And that’s something I really respect about her. It’s not easy for the players – really, none of us. “
Along with Matthew Slater, David Andrews, James White, Jahun Bentley, Lawrence Gay, Devin McCorty and Jason McCorty, Newton has also been named captain by the team.
Newton, 31, was the league’s MVP for the 2015 season, throwing 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns for the Panthers to appear in the Super Bowl 50, where they lost to the Denver Broncos.
This story will be updated.
Jim can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter globejimmcbride.
