Did Mac Jones just gain an edge over Cam Newton in Patriots' QB competition?

Nothing signals the thick of preseason like a good quarterback competition.

That is exactly what the New England Patriots have on their hands, between incumbent starter and veteran Cam Newton and 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones.

And while the Patriots haven't been in a rush to name their starter for Week 1, there could be a new wrinkle in their decision-making process with Newton expected to miss time due to a mixup in his COVID testing.

Newton apparently underwent testing at a site "away from NFL facilities," according to the Patriots. Because of this, he'll have to sit out in-person team activities for five days.

"He received daily COVID tests, which were all negative. Due to a misunderstanding about tests conducted away from NFL facilities, and as required by the NFL-NFLPA protocols, Cam will be subject to the five-day entry cadence process before returning to the facility," the team said in a statement.

While Newton is gone, Jones moves to the top of the depth chart, followed by Brian Hoyer.

Earlier on Monday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said that Newton was his starter, but that he was evaluating all roster spots as the preseason progresses. If a player shines while a starter is absent, that could impact things.

Through two preseason games, both quarterbacks have looked impressive, with the pair seeming to hit their strides simultaneously in a 35-0 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, which pushed the Patriots to 2-0 in the early going.

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Newton was able to set the tone for the Patriots in the first quarter, starting the game and completing eight of nine pass attempts for 103 yards and a passing touchdown.

His passes were crisp, and he resembled the player he once was as a Carolina Panther, the team with which he spent the first nine seasons of his career and earned league MVP honors in 2015.

After a disappointing 2020 season in which he threw only eight touchdown passes in 15 starts after right shoulder surgery, Newton appears to be rounding back into the form that made him one of the NFL's most dominant players at his peak.

That efficiency came as a surprise to Stephen A. Smith, who doesn't see this type of accuracy holding up for Newton over the course of the NFL season, as he explained on ESPN's "First Take."

"I look at that Cam Newton, and I say that's an aberration," Smith said. "If that Cam Newton is the dude that we are going to be seeing throwing the football like that, then Mac Jones isn't going to be playing this year. It's just that simple."

As for Jones, he saw more time than Newton, playing the entire second quarter and the majority of the third and completing 13 of 19 passes for 146 yards passing.

Through two preseason games, the rookie is 26-for-38 on pass attempts for 233 yards, though he has yet to find the end zone.

With both quarterbacks looking impressive enough to start, the Patriots could have a good problem to solve.

That's why Colin Cowherd doesn't think it will matter who the starter ultimately is. He explained on "The Herd" that he sees both players as being good enough to lead the Patriots to a successful season.

"This roster is a lot like the early and late Super Bowl rosters," Cowherd said. "I don't even think it matters. I look up and down this roster, and I think the coaches for New England got it right."

Whatever happens with the competition between Newton and Jones, the Patriots appear to be in good shape. Two is usually better than one, and the Patriots have two solid options in hand.

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