Cam Newton still doesn’t believe there are 32 quarterbacks on this planet that are better than him. But for those who don’t believe him, he’s waiting for the right situation to prove you wrong.
The Carolina Panthers’ all-time leading passer was featured on Tuesday’s episode of The Pivot Podcast hosted by former NFL players Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder. And it didn’t take long for the guys to get down to the nitty gritty, as Crowder’s skepticism of what Newton has left at 33 years of age evoked a bit of intriguing reflection and context from the former Most Valuable Player.
“This ain’t no remorse. This ain’t no ‘I want somebody to feel sorry for me.’ This is me acknowledging that I understand I’ll own up jumping up in some [effed] up siutations,” Newton said about his last two seasons of football.
He began with 2020, where he started in 15 games for the 7-9 New England Patriots.
“I was still learning the offense seven to eight weeks into the season,” stated Newton, who signed with the Patriots on July 8 of that year. “I’m learning systems mentally. As a quarterback—it’s not just, ‘Can you catch?’ It’s not just . . . you can disguise that. As a quarterback—you have to look the part, act the part and be the part.
“So there was countless hours with [quarterbacks coach] Jedd Fisch. There was was countless hours with [offensive coordinator] Josh McDaniels. There was countless hours with so many different people trying to teach me certain things, and it was just brain overload. So there was times I was going to the line and I’m still thinkin’. I’m thinkin’ about the annunciation of the play. I’m thinkin’ about forgettin’ my motions. I’m thinkin’ about my sight adjust. I’m thinkin’ about certain things. So that’s the [effed] up situation.
“Did I know it? Yes. To the degree I needed to know it to show the world that I’m still Cam Newton? No, I didn’t. But I put myself in that situation.”
Newton then recalled his 2021 jump back to Carolina, a return that saw him under center literally three days after signing his contract on Nov. 11.
“Now, Carolina. I put myself in another [effed] up situation. I was signed on Thursday, I played on Sunday. At what point did you think you was gonna be successful? That next week, I started. That’s still up under 10 days of you being on the team. And you’re still trying to learn an offense. This is not a receiver. This is not a safety. This is not a left tackle. This is a quarterback.
“So before I sit up here and allow the narrative to made that Cam ain’t got it no more . . . Cam is takin’ full responsibility and sayin’ that Cam put himself in a [effed] up situation—which then had a ricocheted effect to people thinkin’ how you [Crowder] think, which I respect, because we all are entitled to our opinions.
“But I’m saying, I’m put myself into some [effed] up situations thinkin’ that ‘Man, I’m Cam, bro. I’m Boog.’ You feel me?”
Between those two campaigns, Newton threw for 3,341 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions over 23 games. He also rushed for a pretty impressive 822 yards and 17 scores.
But, in a league that doesn’t particularly value Newton for his personality nor the fact that he is unapologetically himself, the wins simply weren’t there. Whether that’s a byproduct of what’s left in his tank or those aforementioned [effed] up situations, perhaps we’ll have to wait and see if he gets the right scenario to show us who he thinks he is.
