Mac Jones And Cam Newton To Compete For Pats QB1 Job

• The New England Patriots have signed Mac Jones to his rookie contract.
• Mac Jones has +275 odds to be the Patriots' starting quarterback in Week 1.
• Mac Jones has +1200 odds to win the NFL offensive player of the year award.

BOSTON — With the NFL preseason just under 4-weeks away, there are still some questions that need to be answered regarding the New England Patriots starting quarterback and who will take the snaps under center come Week 1.

NFL sportsbooks have weighed in on the action having Cam Newton listed as the favorite to line up under center, however, it is believed that the competition between Newton and Mac Jones has been heating up as the season gets closer.

Patriots Week 1 Quarterback

• Mac Jones +275
• Cam Newton -450

Newton served as the New England Patriots QB1 in 2020 and had a 7-8 record as the starter after going for his lowest yard total of his career with 2,657 yards and his lowest passing touchdown total as well with 8.

With that said, although sitting with heavily favored odds, bettors could take the risk on Mac Jones taking over before the season. The Pats recently signed Jones to his rookie deal which is worth $15.6 million over the course of four years with $8.7 million guaranteed and fully intend to take as long as they need before making a decision about their starting quarterback role.

While the competition is still fully underway, different players around the team, including Cam newton had nothing but high praises for the rookie QB.

“He's doing a great job with being everything as advertised,” said  Newton.

Newly acquired Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne also chimed in on the competition as he praised Jones’ leadership at New England’s optional training camp.

“Good energy. Awesome guy. Can feel his leadership already— He has a swag to him that I didn't know he had at first,” said Bourne during OTA’s.

It is also worth noting that it has been reported that Jones has been receiving more first-team reps than Newton has which is something that many could even use as a deciding point when betting on Jones to be the starter.

Also, the Patriots are used to having more of a pocket passing quarterback which Mac Jones is rather than a dual-threat such as Cam and it has worked out very well for them as many can remember the unforgettable run that Tom Brady had as a pocket passer with the Patriots. Not to draw any comparison between Jones and Brady, but they do have a similar style in terms of both being pocket passers.

With that said, bettors can feel more than comfortable betting on Mac Jones to be lined up under center come Week 1.

Other Mac Jones Odds

Aside from betting on whether or not Jones will be the Pats' starting quarterback, bettors can also take his futures odds to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

2021-22 Offensive Rookie Of The Year Odds To Win

• Trevor Lawrence +275
• Justin Fields +575
• Trey Lance +650
• Najee Harris +700
• Zach Wilson +750
• Kyle Pitts +1000
• Ja'Marr Chase +1200
• Mac Jones +1200
• DeVonta Smith +1600
• Jaylen Waddle +2000

Even though Mac Jones’ odds to win the offensive rookie of the year might seem like a longshot, bettors should not overlook his odds if given the starting quarterback job in Week 1 or early on in the season.

The Patriots have done a great job at ramping up their receiving core in signing Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne at the wide receiver slot along with Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith at the tight end spot. With that, Jones has plenty of weapons to work with if and when he takes over the job.

All in all, he is not worth throwing the bank at, but can surely make bettors money who are willing to throw any risk at him.