The demand for quarterback Cam Newton — or the lack thereof — may have been one of the more surprising elements of the free agency period this offseason. Newton was an MVP in 2015 and one of the NFL’s most efficient quarterbacks in 2018, but he had few suitors following a 2019 season when he played just two games due to a foot injury which required surgery.
For the first time since joining the Patriots in June, Newton spoke with the media and reflected upon what it was like to wait for a team to come in with an offer. Surely, it didn’t help that lesser quarterbacks were getting contracts that put them in the mix to start for another team.
“Honestly, the wait was so long that I would be lying if I didn’t say that a lot of different potentials didn’t creep into your mind,” Newton said on Friday during a videoconference call. “But through it all, I had an unbelievable support cast. My family and friends kept me on the straight and narrow, kept me doing what I needed to be doing. I used that as fuel. I used that as a constant reminder. I just need to use these 24 hours to get better, whether you get treatment, whether you get physical, whether you get mental. I had a lot of time to spend with my children and become a better father off the field. Just enjoying the necessities that this life have to offer.”
Newton added: “I think any normal person would have thought this or many have thought that, depending upon the date. But in the end, I think I made it through with a great support cast.”
The Patriots contacted Newton after the Panthers released him on March 24, which was four days after Tom Brady elected to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. New England didn’t sign Newton until June 29. If the Patriots didn’t sign him, it was very unclear where else he might land, particularly because he wanted to compete for a starting job. Most of those jobs had an established starter or adequate competition — at least according to the general managers making the decisions.
So it’s probably for the best for Newton and New England that both sides agreed to a deal as the quarterback attempts to make a major comeback in 2020.
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