Report: Patriots sign Cam Newton to one-year deal
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
The New England Patriots are going to take a chance on Cam Newton, as they have signed the former NFL MVP to a one-year, incentive-laden contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The deal, which will give Newton a chance to compete for the Patriots’ starting job, is for the “bare minimum,” according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
And that’s about what you’d expect given Newton’s rather barren market.
Released by the Panthers after they were unable to find a trade partner, the 31-year-old has been training with the hopes of earning another NFL shot, and a report in May even suggested that Newton was “open” to a potential backup job. There was even a report that the Patriots had talked with Newton earlier this offseason.
In New England, Newton will have the chance to compete against Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer as New England’s No. 1 quarterback, and will certainly look to reverse what’s been a forgettable two-year stretch.
After suffering a foot injury in a preseason game at Gillette Stadium last August, Newton appeared in just two games (both losses) for the 2019 Panthers before his season was finished. In those two games, Newton threw for a combined 572 yards, but failed to find the endzone through the air or on the ground, and threw one interception. Newton has actually lost eight straight starts dating back to the 2018 season, too. with his last win coming back on Nov. 4, 2018. Over that eight-game losing streak spanning two seasons, Newton’s thrown nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
But the obvious hope out of Foxborough is that the Patriots will be able to work their magic and return Newton back to what he once was for Carolina.
A nine-year veteran, Newton has compiled a 68-55-1 record as a starter and totaled 29,041 passing yards, 182 touchdowns, and averaged 232.2 passing yards per game in his career. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound quarterback has also been able to work his magic on the ground throughout his career, with over 4,800 yards and 58 rushing towards in his career.
The No. 1 overall pick from the 2011 NFL Draft, Newton has a 3-4 career playoff record, and led the Panthers to Super Bowl 50 in 2016, where they fell to a vaunted Broncos defense by a 24-10 final.