Cam Newton agreed on Sunday to sign with the New England Patriots for a contract that is worth the league minimum with incentives, and many wondered if the former NFL MVP chose that offer over others as a way of betting on himself. However, Newton apparently did not have any other options.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on his podcast Monday that the Patriots were the only team to make a formal contract offer to Newton. The Cleveland Browns expressed interest, but the talks didn’t go anywhere. No other team was “calling him and lighting up his phone,” according to Schefter.
Patriots were the only team to make an offer to Cam Newton. But there as one other team that checked in with him.
: https://t.co/DNOemoWSA9 pic.twitter.com/skg5oN6fun
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 29, 2020
Newton’s release from the Carolina Panthers couldn’t have come at a worse time, as there was an oversupply of starting-caliber quarterbacks on the market this offseason. After Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota all landed with new teams, the Patriots were really the only team remaining without an obvious starter on their roster.
Perhaps the most surprising part about Schefter’s report is that he didn’t say no other team offered Newton a chance to start. There were apparently no other offers for Newton in general, which would mean he didn’t even have an opportunity to be a backup somewhere. That seems hard to believe, and it’s more likely that no other teams made offers because Newton was intent on being given a chance to start.
Newton’s deal with New England is for the league minimum but can be worth as much as $7.5 million with incentives. One NFL star was furious that Newton didn’t receive any other offers, but the lack of interest should only serve as further motivation for the 31-year-old.
