NFL Odds Favor Marcus Mariota To Play For New England In 2021

• Sportsbooks are now offering +300 betting odds for Marcus Mariota to be the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots to begin the 2021 season.
• Other choices include Cam Newton (+500), Jimmy Garoppolo (+500), and Ryan Fitzpatrick (+500), as well as potential draft picks Mac Jones (+700) and Trey Lance (+900).

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Following the departure of Tom Brady, the New England Patriots are still looking for their next franchise quarterback.

With the Cam Newton experiment not going exactly as planned, many pundits are expecting Bill Belichick and the Pats to have a new signal-caller for the 2021 season.

Just recently, odds became available on the major NFL sportsbooks with different options to be the Patriots QB in 2021. Current odds have Las Vegas Raiders backup Marcus Mariota as the favorite to land the job at +300 odds.

Patriots Starting QB Week 1 2021 Reg. Season

• Marcus Mariota +300
• Cam Newton +500
• Jimmy Garoppolo +500
• Ryan Fitzpatrick +500
• Jarrett Stidham +600
• Andy Dalton +700
• Mac Jones +700
• Trey Lance +900
• Derek Carr +1200

Other popular names atop the list include last year’s quarterback Cam Newton, former Patriot Jimmy Garoppolo, and Miami Dolphins backup Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Out of those options, Mariota is easily the best choice. It is highly unlikely that the Pats stick with Cam Newton after last season. Newton repeatedly was frustrated in his role, and never seemed to really gel in New England’s offensive scheme.

Additionally, Cam has been getting negative media due to his performance, notably going viral for getting disrespected by a teenager at his offseason camp.

For the Patriots, going from the statuesque Tom Brady to the hyper-mobile Newton isn’t exactly an easy transition, even for someone like New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Which brings in Mariota. Mariota is a former Heisman winner who can sit in the pocket and make deep throws in addition to moving with his legs. The Pats system would fit him more than Newton, but it is still unknown if they will make that move.

Those looking to bet on Super Bowl futures for the Pats would probably prefer bringing someone in like Jimmy Garoppolo or Ryan Fitzpatrick, who are both pocket passers.

However, with the San Francisco 49ers still just one year removed from the Super Bowl, and the Dolphins still iffy on the future of Tua Tagovailoa, these options are still considered longshots.

Some of the better value on the board comes from the two rookies, Mac Jones, and Trey Lance. Even if the Pats decide to keep Newton, he still isn’t the long-term answer. At 31 years old, it is unlikely that Newton will be able to reinvent himself back into his 2015 MVP winning form.

Instead, the Pats could elect to bring in someone like Jones or Lance, to immediately start at QB and learn from Newton, who would be in a backup role.

Either way, there will be many eyes looking to see who takes the first snap of the 2021 season for the Patriots.