Bill Belichick Satisfied With Quarterback Group So Far

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick says things are moving in the right direction with his quarterbacks.

He was speaking after Cam Newton missed Thursday’s practice with a right hand injury. Rookie Mac Jones trained with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer.

Bill Belichick has named Cam Newton as his starting quarterback until one of the others gives him a selection dilemma. 

As well as that, Newton will play a vital role in mentoring Mac Jones. Jones is the first quarterback Bill Belichick has ever drafted in the first round.

“He calls me ‘Mac and Cheese,’ so I’ve got my nickname,” Mac Jones said of Newton.

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 “Mac’s working at it just like everybody else and there’s a lot for all these guys to learn and absorb and it just keeps piling up each day,” said Belichick. 

“But as a group, they’ve worked hard and we’re making progress … things are moving in the right direction.”

Jones’ biggest challenge currently is learning the Patriots playbook, which is a different prospect to calling plays in college. 

“It’s not going to be perfect every day. It’s hard when you’re competitive and you want it to be really good every day. It’s not going to be like that at first. Eventually you get it and things start rolling your way,” he said. 

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“I think it just goes back to following my rules and there’s a lot going on in my brain. You’re just trying to see everything. Sometimes you see too much or whatever. And then you see nothing. So I have to figure out, in this offense, how I can do that — how I can break down the plays, what’s my job, what do I have to do on this specific play, and then slot the plays individually.

“I did that obviously good in college, or whatever, but this is the pros and I have to figure out how to do it here.”