Cam Newton makes a pass during practice with the New England Patriots on Monday in Foxborough, Mass. Steven Senne/Associated Press, Pool
FOXBOROUGH — As a ball of red streaked across the Patriots’ practice field, all eyes shifted to it like a meteor in the morning sky.
Clad in a non-contract No. 1 jersey accentuated by a bright red hoodie, Cam Newton was jogging toward the other quarterbacks at a determined pace. When he got there, he let out a yell of excitement.
It would be the first of many.
Newton and his three counterparts warmed up by taking snaps and dropping back. There was no throwing. No rolling out. No nothing. Newton still shouted so loudly that it echoed across the facility.
We’re not allowed to report the specifics, but let’s just say the former MVP was amped up.
Since landing in Foxborough, Newton’s new teammates have spoken of the “juice” and “energy” he brings to a locker room. As the Patriots took the field for their first padded practice, it was easy to see why.
All morning Newton was the most recognizable player on the field – save for perhaps Julian Edelman, with his mustard yellow undershirt always hanging down. Whenever it was his turn for quarterback reps, a yell of excitement would draw your eyes to Newton’s drill.
“He’s a specimen, for sure,” Edelman said earlier in camp. “When you first meet him, just his stature, the dude is large, put together well and he has great energy. He has a great energy about himself. I was really impressed with his work ethic and his mindset.”
None of this is to say Newton is going to be the starting quarterback when Week 1 rolls around.
To any observer, there was no clear starter on Monday morning, as Newton split reps with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer. Stidham was the most accurate of the three, and Hoyer had the throw of the day, a 50-yard dime that Devin Ross hauled in down the right sideline.
But the energy Newton brings is palpable.
Handed an entirely new playbook with a month and a half to learn it, Newton didn’t look over his head. He was comfortable in his throws, and aside from one audible hiccup, the offense ran relatively smoothly through him.
The practice was run-game heavy and the first in pads since last January, so it’d be a fool’s errand to make any sort of assumption about quarterback situation. There’s a long way to go before the Patriots host Miami in their season opener.
But Newton brought the juice right off the bat. He’s come as advertised in that regard.
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