Cam Newton might be waiting for next chance

Cam Newton was released last week by the New England Patriots, and he might be a free agent for awhile.

The NFL is a brutal business. Just ask Cam Newton.

Newton, 32, is suddenly on the outside looking in. Most pundits believed the former No. 1 overall pick was destined to land the starting job for then New England Patriots over rookie Mac Jones, but with cutdown to the final 53-man roster looming last Tuesday, the decision came.

Newton was released while Jones was handed the offense by head coach Bill Belichick.

On Friday, Newton sat down and spoke to his father on camera about the entire situation. He touched on many topics including the events which led to him needing to sit out for violation of COVID protocol, and why he feels Belichick let him walk.

When talking about the latter, Newton detailed that although he would have sat behind Jones, it likely wouldn’t have been a good situation. Per NFL.com:

“If they would have asked me, ‘Would I play behind (Jones)? They say, ‘Cam, we’re going to give the team to Mac, you’re going to be second-string. We expect you to be everything and then some to guide him throughout this tenure’ I would have said ‘absolutely.’ But listen, the truth of the matter is this: He would have been uncomfortable. And they knew. And it comes by the mere fact of me being me.”

Ultimately, New England released Newton for myriad reasons.

For starters, Newton wasn’t good in 2020. He started strong including a Week 2 shootout on Sunday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks, but ultimately fell off. He finished with eight touchdowns with 10 interceptions while throwing for 2,657. All this after coming off a shoulder injury which required surgery following the 2018 season and then a foot injury which derailed the ’19 campaign after only two games.

Now, with Newton having two injury-plagued years followed by a subpar showing in New England, there’s little demand for the former MVP. Factor in his vaccination status (he’s unvaccinated) and it’ll be even tougher for him to find a job in the NFL, with many teams likely believing he’s not worth the risk.

If this is it for Newton, it was a terrific career; three-time Pro Bowler, once a First-Team All-Pro and the 2015 NFL MVP with a Super Bowl appearance. Certainly, plenty to be proud of.

Maybe there’s another chapter to Newton’s football life, but it appears the book is closed for now.