Cam Newton drops F-bomb, channels Kanye West to settle Hall of Fame debate
Cam Newton appears to have accepted that his time in the NFL is officially done after he made a workout appearance at Auburn's pro day earlier this year. In a conversation with former wide receiver Brandon Marshall on Newton's YouTube channel, the former Panthers quarterback spoke about his career in the past tense.
Additionally, he addressed whether he saw himself as a Hall of Famer.
After initially claiming that he doesn't "give a f***," upon being pressed further for a response, Newton emphatically declared that he is indeed a Hall of Famer with a simple "hell yeah." He elaborated by quoting Kanye West:
“I think it was Kanye who said it, ‘When I first came into the league, it was only one of me. Now when I look around the league, I see so many me's.’”
In that statement, he claimed that there was no player like him before, and now, there are many versions of himself present in the modern-day NFL. In other words, he claims that many of today's top quarterbacks' style of play can be traced back to him.
While that claim can be disputed, one cannot ignore how the quarterback popularized the "dab" celebration and dressing completely outside the norm as a quarterback.
Which quarterbacks are Cam Newton-like in the NFL today?
In order to understand players with qualities that trace back to Newton, one needs to break down what Newton's archetype was. At his peak, he was tough like a linebacker, tall like an NBA center, and powerful like a running back. He also had a quality arm, if not the best in the world.
Looking back, he remains one of the most memorable examples of a mobile quarterback in the history of the archetype. Other past examples of mobile quarterbacks include Michael Vick, Randall Cunningham, and to a lesser extent, Tim Tebow.
In today's NFL, mobile quarterbacks are everywhere. Russell Wilson, who was one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the league at the turn of the 20-teens, now seems to have taken half a step back from some of the other quarterbacks in the league.
Quarterbacks in today's league with a trace of Cam Newton influence could arguably include Josh Allen, Anthony Richardson, and to a lesser extent, Lamar Jackson. Many want to compare Jackson as a close comparison to Newton, but Jackson is closer to a speed variant on the archetype compared to Newton's power archetype.
Where Jackson can outrun defenders, Newton could bulldoze them and fall forward for extra yards.
If any of the above quotes are used, credit Cam Newton's YouTube show and H/T Sportskeeda.