Since 2001, Tom Brady has been the most decorated, most recognized, and most talked about player on the Patriots.
The quarterback has been the go-to guy when it comes to the Patriots and the organization’s ability to pump the product. His No. 12 jersey was long the top-seller in the NFL.
In that sense, Brady was the face of the franchise. He was synonymous with the team, and the brand.
With Brady gone, who’s the new face in 2020?
With the season opener against the Dolphins just days away, who fits the bill?
Just to throw out a few candidates, Stephon Gilmore, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and best player on the team, would likely get some votes.
He’s recognized in many circles as the top shutdown corner in the NFL. There’s no one better at eliminating top threats week to week. His relentless preparation and ability make him confident he can silence any wide receiver. And he usually does.
Maybe Julian Edelman, a former Super Bowl MVP, and offensive spark plug entering his 12th season with the team. He’s been the ultimate chain-mover, and clutch performer. He has longevity with the organization, and unlike Gilmore, has only played for the Patriots.
Both are good choices, but not the answer.
What about Cam Newton, the successor to the former face?
He is certainly recognizable. He’s also been the center of attention since his arrival. And, he’s gotten off to a good start as a pitchman for the team, pumping up everything and everyone. There’s no question he’s a marketer’s dream. Newton oozes charisma and a unique style. Add the fact he’s a quarterback, and he would seem to be the leader in the clubhouse as the next face.
The problem?
It’s hard to have someone as the face of the franchise who hasn’t played a down for the team. And he might only be around for a year given his contract status and the likelihood of trying to land a top money deal for 2021.
Newton certainly has the potential to rise into the role, he’s just not there yet. So file him as a “face in training” if he sticks around and has success this season.
So where does that leave the Patriots? With a faceless existence?
Hardly.
They still have a face. Like Brady, he’s also been around for two decades. He can also be seen in a Subway commercial near you, scissoring off some stranger’s coat sleeves.
Yes, Bill Belichick is the man.
He’s the coach with six rings and nine Super Bowl appearances (more, if you count his time with the Giants). He’s been the one calling the shots, and leading the team to all of its past success.
Belichick is the new face of the franchise, if he wasn’t already. His hooded mug is most identifiable with the Patriots. His Darth Vader-like image, as ruler of the evil empire in Foxborough, resonates in New England and beyond.
What’s the first name that comes to mind, if someone says “Patriots” in a word association game?
Right now, in 2020, it’s Belichick.
Newton isn’t in that league. Not yet anyway. It remains to be seen what happens on the field, if he evolves into the type of player he was in Carolina during his 2015 MVP season, and more recently, the beginning of 2018. Until then, and perhaps even then, Belichick is the most appropriate face of the Patriots. He sports the most obvious mugshot on the sideline. Patriots Hall of Famer Rodney Harrison agreed.
“In a sense, he’s always held the title,” Harrison said when reached Tuesday. “The Patriots have always been a team where it wasn’t about one individual, it was about the team.
And if always about the team, you have to look at who constructed the team, and that’s Belichick.
“From a player’s perspective, is there a face of the franchise? Who is it? Can we really tell?” Harrison went on. “We don’t know who’s going to be back. But we know Belichick’s going to be back.”
Harrison said in a sense, the Patriots have a “faceless” team, “but if I had to pick someone now, it would be Belichick, and right underneath, it would have to be Cam.”
Newton wasn’t sure what to make of Belichick during his initial contact with the head coach, but now he gets why the Patriots have made all those Super Bowl appearances. He understands what makes Belichick tick, and why he’s become a legend.
“Having the success that he’s had over the X amount of years that he’s been here or even been anywhere coaching, and you understand why he’s so successful, and not only him but it’s his coaches,” Newton said of the Patriots head coach during a recent video conference. “He does a great job with trusting in his coaches to get the job done. And even in his players too. And it’s a common theme that you get the job done or if not, they’re going to find somebody to get the job done. And with that type of mantra with him, he knows that he’s going to put everybody in the best position for them to succeed.”
This year will be Belichick’s biggest test: trying to win without Brady. If he’s able to pull that off in some fashion, there’s little doubt of him locking in the title. His name and face are and have been synonymous with the Patriots. He just doesn’t have to share the role with Brady any more.
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