Cam Newton opened up about how slighted he felt by NFL teams when he was out of a job for nearly three months, despite all he’s accomplished as a quarterback position over his eight-year career.
Newton, 31, was allowed to seek a trade by his former team the Carolina Panthers in March, and was officially picked up by the New England Patriots on June 28.
He took part in a roundtable discussion with Victor Cruz, Odell Beckham Jr. and Todd Gurley that was published on YouTube Monday, July 13 and said the number of days that he was unemployed wasn’t lost on him.
“I’m just going to keep it 100 with you,” Newton told the other men at the 34:13 mark. “I had to count the days [of] how long I was unemployed. It was 86 nights … And I’m going through it and I’m like … ‘You can’t say I’m old because people older than me getting signed. You can’t say it’s about injury because people more injured than me are getting signed … You can’t say the talent [wasn’t up to par].’ ”
Newton then admitted that he hasn’t put the best “film on tape” in the last two years, a lot of it having to do with injuries he received while playing.
In a 2019 preseason game he fractured his foot and only played in two games that season. He also had several surgeries on his throwing shoulder, but said the injuries shouldn’t have kept teams from signing him.
“There’s other people that’s been putting s—-y film out there that’s getting picked up,” Newton explained. “Like, I’m feeling disrespected.”
When Newton was permitted by the Panthers to seek a trade, it was something that he didn’t want and said they “forced” him into it.
In his roundtable discussion, the Atlanta, Georgia, native explained that he felt “vindicated” after the Patriots expressed interest in him and because of his perceived slight from other NFL teams, he has a lot to prove this season. “[The Patriots] are getting a dog. A ticked-off dog,” he stated.
Newton signed a one-year incentive-laden deal with the Patriots for $1.05 million, the league minimum. That amount could go up to $7.5 million based on certain incentives like winning the Super Bowl.
The head quarterback position opened up for the Patriots after Tom Brady, who spent 20 seasons with the team, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March.
