When Cam Newton signed with the New England Patriots, there was a sense of excitement among NFL fans. It was an absolutely enthralling match: Bill Belichick and Newton.
But then the reality of the financials set in. The deal got a bit more troubling.
New England signed Newton to the veteran minimum, which should pay him out at $1.05 million in 2020, according to multiple reports. The Patriots added a series of incentives, which could help escalate Newton’s earnings to $7.5 million, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. There was already the question of why it took so long for an NFL team to sign Newton, the NFL MVP in 2015 who completed a career-high 67.9% of his passes in 2018.
But after seeing Newton’s deal, there was also the question of why the heck he’s not going to make more money in 2020. San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman did not hesitate to point directly at the questions around Newton’s earnings.
How many former League MVPs have had to sign for the min? (Asking for a friend.) just ridiculous. A transcendent talent and less talented QBs are getting 15/16m a year. Disgusting https://t.co/eZycGL8qkZ
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) June 29, 2020
And perhaps there’s no question. Perhaps the statement is obvious: Patriots are likely woefully underpaying Newton. It’s a product of lack of demand around the NFL, which is strange, even with the quarterback’s injury history looking like it took a toll on his quality of play in 2019. Maybe Newton’s pay should be diminished — but not to this level.
Chase Daniel is being paid more than Jameis Winston and Cam Newton COMBINED.
— Adam Lefkoe (@AdamLefkoe) June 29, 2020
Newton’s deal will put him at the bottom of the quarterback pay scale when compared to his peers who are likely to start in 2020. For example, Newton can make, at most, the same as Marcus Mariota, who is likely to be the backup for the Oakland Raiders. Newton will also be on par with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will make $7 million. The three quarterbacks are all in similar circumstances — but none have the resume like Newton. It’s wild to think he had to wait until this point to get a contract of this caliber.
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