When Cam Newton signed with the New England Patriots in the offseason, no one expected the season to play out the way it has.
The Patriots are heading into Week 17 with an anemic offense and a chance to finish with a 7-9 record at best. The former MVP may have put up impressive numbers in terms of touchdowns on the ground, but his passing ability has taken an obvious dip and his turnover total has spiked greatly.
While all options are still up in the air for who will be New England’s signal-caller in the 2021 campaign, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that a return for Newton doesn’t seem likely.
“Cam Newton sounded resigned this week to the fact that he’ll be moving on from New England,” Schefter said on “Sunday NFL Countdown.” “It looks like he’s looking for something different, the Patriots are looking for something different.
“Both sides enjoyed their relationship, but both sides expect that it will take them to a different place and a different direction in 2021 with Cam Newton likely moving on and the Patriots in search of a new quarterback for next season. We’ll see what direction they decide to go.”
This makes a lot of sense, as neither side really got what they expected out of this deal. The Patriots have an opportunity to move on to another veteran or a rookie through the draft this offseason to turn things around. Newton, on the other hand, can see his options slipping away from him. After a performance like this, it’s hard to imagine the phone ringing off the hook for his services.
It can’t all be blamed on Newton, though. The Patriots’ group of offensive weapons, outside of the running backs, is one of the thinnest collectives in the league. Someone may look at the 31-year-old quarterback and determine that he can be closer to his old self with better weapons.
However, that call isn’t going to come from Bill Belichick.
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