New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick addresses starting quarterback decision

Another day, another question about the New England Patriots Week 1 starting quarterback, which head coach Bill Belichick has not yet named publicly — and on Sunday, that remained unchanged.

“No,” Belichick said simply when asked whether he’d picked his starter. “We still have a lot of decisions to make.”

The Patriots won a close preseason contest with the Giants on Sunday, coming out with a 22-20 victory, and Belichick was asked of his quarterbacking situation following the victory. He still didn’t have a starter to share, and when a subsequent question asked what he’s looking for in his starting quarterback, his answer was largely the same.

“Well, we’ll be focused on Miami,” Belichick said. “So, that’s what we’ll do.”

Following Tom Brady’s departure to Tampa Bay, the Patriots signed veteran Cam Newton to serve as the starting quarterback. Newton last season threw for 2,657 yards with a 65.8 completion percentage, eight touchdowns and ten interceptions.

One year later, the Patriots drafted Mac Jones, Alabama’s national championship-winning quarterback, with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

When asked how long it might take to make a decision on the starter, Belichick has expressed previously that he won’t tip his hand.

“I don’t have a timetable on that,” Belichick said, when asked how long the transition from competition to starter might take. “I can’t tell you.”

In a follow-up question, Belichick was then asked if he felt the decision was coming soon — perhaps at the end of training camp — or if it was coming prior to the Patriots Week 1 matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I’m not sure exactly how that will go.”

Newton, the Carolina Panthers’ first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, had a Heisman Trophy-winning senior season with the Auburn Tigers and led the Panthers from one of the NFL’s worst to a 2015 Super Bowl team.

Jones, by comparison, took his first and only season as Alabama’s starter in stride, setting an NCAA single-season record with a 77.4 completion percentage, coupled with 4,500 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2020 but ultimately lost to his teammate, wide receiver DeVonta Smith.