Cam Newton is coming back to New England.
On Friday, the Patriots signed the quarterback to a one-year deal, according to the Boston Globe. According to the NFL Network, it's an incentive-laden deal worth a minimum of $5 million and a maximum of $14 million. Newton can earn an additional $9 million for several accolades such as Pro Bowl, All-Pro, MVP, Super Bowl MVP and also a playoff run.
This move kicks off a Patriots offseason in which the team is expected to be aggressive during free agency when it begins next week.
Newton confirmed the news with a video post on his Instagram page. He wrote: "Run it back" and "chapter (two)." In the video, Newton is seen talking about people doubting him, saying, "They been sleeping on 'Boogie' in all of 2020, but I refuse to let them (expletive) slip or sleep on me in 2021. 2021 — savage."
Newton’s 2020 season was inconsistent and that’s putting it mildly. The 31-year-old finished with 2,657 passing yards to go with eight passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Newton also etched his name in the Patriots record books with quarterback franchise records of 12 rushing touchdowns and 592 rushing yards, breaking Steve Grogan’s old mark. He also became the first quarterback in Patriots history to haul in a receiving touchdown.
Last month, Newton said he was interested in coming back to New England while talking on the “I Am Athlete” podcast.
“Yes, hell yes,” Newton said. “I’m getting tired of changing [teams], bro. I’m getting to a point in my career where I know way more than I knew last year.”
On Thursday, former Patriots quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch told the NFL Network he thought it was in Newton’s best interest to return to Foxborough.
“I think for Cam, the best opportunity for him would be able to continue to be in that situation, of course,” Fisch said. “I don’t know all the details of where it’s at with him or with the team, but I know that he really spent a full year learning and digesting an offense. Nobody wants to spend another year learning and digesting a different offense. So, for him, an opportunity would be great. I’m sure he worked as hard as he possibly could at it, and I hope something great happens for him.”
It was a tough task to replace Tom Brady, but the veteran handled the pressure with grace. Newton, who won the Rob Hobson Media Good Guy Award, was named a captain in his first season in New England and by all accounts was a great teammate. However, there were severe issues with the Patriots' offense last season when Newton had to throw the ball. The quarterback didn’t finish in the top 10 in any passing category. There were 33 other quarterbacks who averaged more passing yards per game and who had more touchdown passes.
There were some bright spots. Newton threw for over 300 yards in two games — against Seattle (397 yards) and Houston (365 yards). However, he failed to reach 100 passing yards in four games.
The quarterback had a solid start, beginning the season with a 2-1 record. However, the wheels came off when Newton tested positive for COVID-19 in Week 4. That caused him to miss the Patriots' loss in Kansas City and two weeks of practice. Newton then had two of his worst performances — against Denver and San Francisco — after that.
The Patriots finished a disappointing 7-9 as Newton failed to reach 90 passing yards in three of the final six games. He finished the season on a high note, throwing for 242 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and hauling in a receiving touchdown in the regular-season finale over the New York Jets.
Newton joined the Pats late last offseason, missing all of the spring team meetings. Due to COVID-19, there was also no preseason. On top of that, the Patriots had some of the worst depth in the NFL at receiver and tight end, so there are plenty of excuses as to why Newton struggled. However, Newton won’t have those same excuses if he wins the starting job this season. The Pats head into free agency with the third-most cap space in the NFL. They are expected to upgrade their receiver and tight end depth. On top of that, Newton has a year of experience in New England under his belt.
Despite re-signing Newton to an incentive-laden deal, the Patriots are expected to continue to look for added quarterback depth in the free-agent market, trade market and the upcoming NFL draft.
The Patriots have had dialogues with other NFL teams this offseason about quarterbacks, but the price tags for players such as Carson Wentz and Matthew Stafford apparently were too high for the Pats' liking. However, by giving Newton a deal that could pay him up to $14 million, the Patriots could be looking at Newton as a ‘bridge’ quarterback. This could signal that the Patriots will be aggressive in the draft in April. They could look to trade up in the first round for a prospect such as North Dakota State’s Trey Lance or Ohio State’s Justin Fields. The Pats were at Lance’s Pro Day on Friday. The 20-year-old quarterback played in only one game last season and might need to redshirt this season. It wouldn’t be a bad plan to draft a quarterback and have them sit behind Newton for one year and then take over in 2022.
The Patriots have multiple possibilities when it comes to their quarterback position. By adding Newton, it means they’ll bring back a veteran who at the very least has some name recognition with other players in the league and that could help in free agency.
