NFL Notebook: Newton, Jones shine for New England

The NFL preseason rolls on as we move into the back half of August. Several teams have begun roster cuts, while others have position battles going on that may last until the start of the regular season. Let’s go around the league in the latest edition of our NFL Notebook!

Tebow Time is Up

In an unsurprising turn of events, the Jacksonville Jaguars released Tim Tebow after bringing him on board to try out as a tight end.

The Heisman Trophy winner, of course, quarterbacked several of Urban Meyer’s Florida teams many years ago, but was destined for an uphill battle after agreeing to learn a brand-new position.

Newton, Jones Shine for New England

One of the league’s most interesting quarterback controversies is in New England, where Cam Newton and first-round draft pick Mac Jones are vying for the starting job.

Both played well in Thursday night’s 35-0 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Newton went 8-for-9, Jones went 13-for-19, and neither signal-caller threw an interception.

Joint Practices Lead to Brawls

This shouldn’t be shocking, as it seems like these rarely go well, but a pair of two-team practices featured altercations this week. The Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams, in fact, ended their session early after players threw punches and hurled helmets at one another.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers had several skirmishes, including one that featured Tampa Bay wide receiver Antonio Brown going after Titans corner Chris Jackson after complaining he was being held.

Carl Lawson’s Season Is Over Before it Starts

The words "out for the year" are never pleasant to hear, especially during the preseason. In this case, New York Jets defensive end Carl Lawson will miss the 2021 campaign after rupturing his Achilles tendon Thursday.

Lawson was signed to a lucrative contract this past March that is set to pay him $45 million over three years, and he was in line to anchor Gang Green’s front seven.