FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots have shown Cam Newton the door after just one season with the team.
The Pats have released the 2015 NFL most valuable player, paving the way for rookie Mac Jones to open the season as the starting quarterback.
Veteran players say Jones has impressed them in training camp with his work ethic. Jones won a national title last year at Alabama.
The Patriots are trying to rebound from a disjointed 2020 season. Newton finished 7-8 as the starter and the Patriots went 7-9 overall after Tom Brady’s departure.
Elsewhere in the NFL:
— Quarterback Deshaun Watson remains on the Houston Texans’ active roster as the team made cuts to reduce their roster to 53 players. Watson’s future with the team is in question after 22 women filed lawsuits alleging that he sexually assaulted or harassed them. Watson reported to camp to avoid being fined and participated in individual drills but never practiced with the team, watching as Tyrod Taylor ran the offense.
— Saints head coach Sean Payton says the displaced team is exploring the possibility of remaining in the Dallas area for up to a month and opening their regular season against Green Bay in the Cowboys’ home stadium. There are logistical challenges with staffing an NFL game at the Superdome in the near future because of the widespread damage by Hurricane Ida in the New Orleans area. While the Superdome appears to have been spared significant damage, many New Orleans residents have evacuated and officials have advised them not to return for at least another several days.
— Saints head coach Sean Payton says the displaced team is exploring the possibility of remaining in the Dallas area for up to a month and opening their regular season against Green Bay in the Cowboys’ home stadium. There are logistical challenges with staffing an NFL game at the Superdome in the near future because of the widespread damage by Hurricane Ida in the New Orleans area. While the Superdome appears to have been spared significant damage, many New Orleans residents have evacuated and officials have advised them not to return for at least another several days while infrastructure is repaired or replaced.
— A person with direct knowledge of the deal has told The Associated Press the Jets have traded tight end Chris Herndon to the Vikings. Herndon spent his first three seasons with New York, catching 71 passes for 796 yards and seven touchdowns.
— The Packers won’t have David Bakhtiari for the start of the season. The All-Pro left tackle is recovering from a torn ACL and won’t be available for at least the first six weeks. That leaves reigning MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers without the player who has protected his blind side for the last nine seasons.
