Former Carolina Panthers quarterback and 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton signed a one-year, incentive-laden deal with the New England Patriots. Here’s what to expect from the veteran signal-caller in Bill Belichick’s system.
Career
Over Newton’s career, he has had a great upcoming. Newton originally attended the University of Florida but then transferred to Auburn, where he led the Tigers to the national title. In college, he played a total of 20 games, completing 191 passes for 2,908 yards and 30 touchdowns while leading them to a national title in 2010 and winning the Heisman Trophy the same year.
Newton was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round as the first overall pick in 2011. He spent a couple of years gaining experience until he began to post outstanding seasons. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2011, 2013, and 2015. In each of those three years, Newton threw at least 292 completions, 3,379 yards, and 21 touchdowns. He also was a First-Team All-Pro player and AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2015, when he threw 296 completions, 3,837 total yards, and 35 total touchdowns.
Over Newton’s NFL career, he has played in 125 games, completing 2,371 passes, and adding a total of 182 touchdowns. However, Newton was injured early in the 2019 season after playing in two games.
Injuries
Over the years, Newton has sustained many injuries. These injuries have kept him out of many games and have held him back from his full potential. In 2008, 2012, and 2014, he suffered from ankle sprains and a torn ligament torn in his ankle. In 2014, he fractured a rib and was also hit with a back vertebral fracture. In 2016, he got a head cranial concussion and a shoulder rotator cuff torn. In 2018, he got a knee strain and a shoulder injury. Finally, in 2019, he was dealt another blow with a pedal lisfranc sprain.
Patriots System
The New England Patriots have quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer on the team already, but Newton will compete with them for the starting spot. Seeing as how he has much more experience than Stidham and has done really well in the past, his chances of starting are high.
Further, the Patriots signed him to a one-year deal, so Newton will most likely play a good amount of games with the Patriots. Due to injuries in the past and how he is a mostly running type of quarterback, it will be hard for Newton to be as good as he was in Carolina. His injuries will be a huge factor as he relies on his speed to get around, but the consequences could be big hits.
It is hard to say exactly how it will go down for Newton and the Patriots, but he needs to be protected very well and make smart decisions with his body and the ball.
