It's assumed that Cam Newton is going to be the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots in 2020. However, Ryan Hannable of WEEI Sports Radio Network suggests that Newton could be released if he isn't the starter in Week 1:

“With that being said, don’t assume Newton is locked in to be the Patriots’ starter come Week 1. Bill Belichick has always picked the best player for the job at any position regardless of who the players are. So if Stidham has a better summer than Newton and gives the Patriots the best chance to win, Stidham will get the the job. It’s highly unlikely Newton sticks around to be the backup, so it’s likely either he’s the Week 1 starter or released following training camp.”

Following the departure of Tom Brady, the Patriots have big shoes to fill at the quarterback position. Instead of signing a quarterback early in free agency, New England elected to stick with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer. New England also chose to refrain from taking a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft.

It's apparent that the Patriots are confident in Stidham, with some of his teammates raving about him this offseason. Despite the confidence in Stidham, New England knew they couldn't pass on the opportunity of signing Newton.

The former NFL MVP is coming off of a season-ending foot injury in 2019. Altogether, Newton has missed 16 games in the past two seasons due to injuries.

Seeing that COVID-19 has caused restrictions on this offseason, Newton is going to have to learn New England's offense quickly. At the same time, he'll have to prove that he can remain healthy next season.

If Newton shows any signs of not being able to handle the starting job, Hannable believes Newton could be gone before the season gets underway.