In a stunning move as rosters in the NFL are being trimmed down to 53, the New England Patriots released quarterback Cam Newton.
The move comes after Newton had an alright preseason for the Patriots but also had a slip-up understanding Covid-19 protocols which caused him to miss almost a week of training camp.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick noted that it wasn't Newton's fault but it provided rookie quarterback and first-round pick Mac Jones an opportunity to work with the starters in practice for an extended period of time during Newton's absence.
Even if Jones was to be named the starter entering Week 1 (which now will undoubtedly be the case), straight up releasing Newton is shocking.
The other notable Patriots quarterback on the roster is Brian Hoyer who has had multiple, separate stints with New England throughout his career.
Most teams are set on their starting quarterback situation for the regular season with Week 1 approaching but it will be fascinating to see who, if anyone, takes a flier on Newton now.
The former league MVP struggled mightily as the starter for the Patriots last year but in his defense, the weapons to work with offensively in New England were horrible. Objectively, that core group that Newton was throwing to was among the worst in the entire NFL.
New England addressed it in the offseason by signing Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith at tight end and they also scooped up a couple wide receivers too. Resigning Newton seemed to indicate a second chance to start with the Patriots was coming. Instead, they released him.