The 2020 season was the New England Patriots' 51st in the National Football League, their 61st overall, and their 21st under head coach Bill Belichick. It was the first season since 1999 without quarterback Tom Brady on the roster, as he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady led the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances, winning six, and had been their primary starting quarterback from 2001 to 2019, and coincidentally, Brady would go on to win his first Super Bowl with his new team and his seventh win overall. The Patriots signed long-time Carolina Panthers quarterback and 2015 MVP Cam Newton on June 29, and named him the starting quarterback on September 3.