Cam Newton made headlines multiple times during the NFL season for criticizing San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, which is why many were surprised to hear the former MVP’s assessment of how Purdy played in the Super Bowl.
On the latest episode of the “4th & 1 with Cam Newton podcast,” a listener asked Newton to talk about how Purdy only managed to lead a field goal drive rather than a touchdown drive at the start of overtime in Super Bowl LVIII. Newton went viral several weeks ago when he said Purdy is a game manager and not a difference-maker.
In this instance, however, Newton did not feel Purdy was the issue. The former Carolina Panthers star blasted the San Francisco 49ers for winning the coin toss in overtime and electing to receive.
“Field goal or touchdown, that’s not Brock Purdy,” Newton said. “Why the f— did they receive the ball first? It was (CBS analyst) Tony Romo who mentioned this: when you know what you have to get, now you have four downs to get it, not three. … The 49ers, they were just trying to get points. And that is not Brock Purdy’s fault, that’s just bad coaching. There was too many people who was exposed. They didn’t know the real rules of overtime.”
Newton then complimented Purdy for the way he played in the 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“He played good enough for his team to win,” Newton said. “He made plays and he made plays in times of need as well.”
"It's not Brock Purdy's fault. He played well enough for his team to win."@CameronNewton thinks the 49ers coaching staff let them down, not Purdy. pic.twitter.com/dQrspNrjVD
— 4th&1 with Cam Newton (@4thand1show) February 16, 2024
Even in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, Newton doubled down on his characterization of Purdy as a game manager. At least for one game, Newton feels Purdy was more of a play-maker.
Though 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan claimed he had a specific strategy with taking the ball first in OT, there is legitimate reason to wonder if he even knew the rules of playoff overtime.
