Bill Belichick Has 'Nothing but Positive Thoughts' for Cam Newton After Cutting QB

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Despite cutting Cam Newton last week, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick still thinks highly of the quarterback.

Appearing on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show (h/t ESPN's Mike Reiss), Belichick said he has "nothing but positive thoughts and feelings for Cam."

"He came in here, he worked hard, and gave us everything he had," Belichick added. "Right now, our future is going to be Mac [Jones] at quarterback. So that's where we're going to go."

The Patriots made the surprise decision to release Newton as part of their initial cuts to get the roster down to 53 players. The three-time Pro Bowler had a decent preseason, going 14-of-21 for 162 yards with one touchdown and one interception in three games.

Newton's release ensured that rookie Mac Jones, whom the Patriots drafted No. 15 overall, will open the season as the starter.

New England re-signed Newton to a one-year, incentive-laden contract in March. He was looking for a rebound season after a disappointing 2020, where the 32-year-old threw for 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 starts.

Instead, he finds himself a free agent with the regular season set to begin Thursday.

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Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Sunday there hasn't been significant interest in Newton because of his recent injury history and throwing issues.

During the 2018 season with the Carolina Panthers, Newton missed the final two games of the year with a shoulder injury. He appeared in the first two games the following year before a Lisfranc injury caused him to sit out the rest of the season.

Despite playing in 15 games with the Patriots in 2020, Newton's eight touchdown passes were the fewest in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 300 attempts.