The New England Patriots stunned the football world this morning by not only naming former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones the starter, but they also released former Auburn standout, Cam Newton, according to the Boston Globe and ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The two have been in a quarterback battle all preseason with most NEL experts believing that Newton was slightly ahead of the rookie with one week to go in the preseason.

But because of the NFL’s new COVID-19  policy, Newton had to sit out most of last week, which may have given Jones the edge in practice.

Jones has impressed thus far in practice and in preseason games but Patriots head coach Bill Belichick in his Monday press conference gave no indication that he had made up his mind about who his starting quarterback would be.

Apparently Tuesday morning, Belichick made up his mind and not only name Jones the starter but also decided to cut Newton in the process.

Newton has been in the NFL since 2011, playing most of his career with the Carolina Panthers. He signed with the Patriots ahead of the 2020 season.