When Cam Newton felt 'disrespected' by NFL team owners after taking over for Tom Brady
Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton hasn’t played professional football in nearly three years. His career came to an abrupt halt in 2021 after a brief return to the Carolina Panthers. However, before that, his career was revived when New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick called on the 2015 NFL MVP to replace the iconic Tom Brady.
Before his move to the Patriots, Newton experienced a sharp fall in his performance at the Panthers camp. So, he was excited and hungry for his new adventure. However, there was some resentment within his heart that came out during the podcast "The Bigger Picture" on YouTube in an episode in 2020 featuring Victor Cruz, Odell Beckham, and Todd Gurley.
“I’ll be the first person to tell you: The last two years, I haven’t been putting the best film on tape. That’s just honesty. But ... There are other people that are putting sh—ty films out there that are getting picked up. I’m feeling disrespected. Every team, at one point, had to say, ‘OK, fellas, Cam Newton—what do we think? Eh. Pass,” Newton said.
Newton was pissed off at teams passing on him
Newton acknowledged that he didn’t live up to the expectations with the Panthers, where he recorded 3395 yards for 24 TDs in 2018. In 2019, he only played two games as he suffered a foot injury. The number one pick of the 2011 NFL draft saw a significant dip in his performance due to multiple shoulder surgeries, as he requested a trade in 2019, as reported by Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of the NFL.
Newton was visibly frustrated by the fact that many teams weren’t interested in picking him up as teams feared his fitness issues:
“I had to count the days I was unemployed. It was 86 nights. That’s three months. And I’m going through it, and I’m like, people are going and getting signed.”
Newton is better than Brady
So when Belichick brought him on board to replace Brady, Newton was rejuvenated to be on the field and prove his mettle. At the same podcast, he even declared that he was better than Brady in one aspect of the game:
“But one thing about it, though: Coach McDaniels, you’re going to be able to call some stuff you ain’t never been able to call, now.”
Despite his greatness, Brady’s rushing game wasn’t too great. He only averaged 1.7 yards per rush till 2020, while Newton averaged 5.1 yards per rush. Brady has only produced one 20+ yard rush in his career to date, while Newton held a career record of 72 yards.