After a debut season in the New England Patriots, which saw Cam Newton more intercepted than knocked down, the former NFL MVP says he heard the retirement talk.
He does not have it.
In an appearance on the podcast “I’m an Athlete” with former NFL players Chad Johnson, Brandon Marshall and Fred Taylor, Newton made it clear that he intends to continue playing. And he believes he’s still a starting caliber in the NFL.
“I can not go out like that”
“Hell no,” Newton said about retirement. “I can not go out like that. I hear all the talk. My pride does not allow me. There are no 32 guys better than me.”
Newton, 31, who spent two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, looked little like the electric quarterback who accompanied his Superman persona during his MVP career.
He started strong when the Patriots won two of their first three games with Newton under center. He turned around six times in the 2-1 series, and he gave hope in New England that the Patriots would be able to achieve success after Tom Brady.
COVID-19 hampers Newton’s season
But Newton picked up COVID-19 and did not make a week 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. When he returned in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos, the Patriots attack came to a standstill, and New England began a three-game losing streak. When the season was over, the Patriots missed the playoff game at 7-9, and Newton counted eight passing points against ten distinctions.
The one-season experiment in New England was far from a success.
Did COVID-19 play a role in the execution of Newton?
Newton said he had no severe symptoms of COVID-19 due to the odor loss. But when he returns to the New England series, he feels like the lost time is a strong setback for a quarterback in a new system. Especially from a pre-season hampered by the pandemic.
“When I came back, I felt physically, skillfully, not comfortable,” Newton said. “A lot of the discomfort came from beforehand. …
“I’m lost. I think too much. … The offense continued, and I was stopped and silent for two weeks. When I came back, it was a new terminology … I was not just trying to be a system trying to learn what it was, I learned a 20-year-old system within two months. ‘
Cam signed with Patriots again: ‘Hell yes’
Does Newton – a free agent still pending – want another chance in New England, even if it comes back with a one-year deal?
‘Yes. Hell yes, ”Newton said. “I get tired of changing. I’m at the point in my career where I know more than I knew last year. ”
Whether the Patriots want Newton back is a whole other question. After the bitter taste of third place in the AFC East, they may be ready to turn the page. For now, there is no clear answer to quarterbacks in New England.
If New England – or any other prospective Newtonian suitor – is looking for a bright side to his 2020 campaign, it is that he was still effective as a runner and 592 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground at 4.3 yards per carrying point.
Cam talks about former teammate Aaron Hernandez
Newton did not strictly adhere to football during the free-flowing discussion. The topic of Aaron Hernandez also came up. Newton played at the University of Florida with the former NFL player who died in prison while serving a life sentence for the murder of Odin Lloyd.
He said the Hernandez he knew was a different man.
“I saw how younger he was,” Newton said. “The way he is portrayed as a villain is not him. Do not get me wrong, in all respects what happened were corpses damaged, and I do not deny that it was done. “But it was bad. Beautiful soul. He loved it, and he just wanted to win the league.”
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