On Sunday night news broke that former Carolina Panthers quarterback and former MVP Cam Newton is heading to the New England Patriots on a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
For most of the offseason, it was oddly assumed that the Patriots would be willing to go forward in the post Tom Brady era with Jarrett Stidham, but we should have known that Bill Belichick had other plans.
Thus, the sports world is now debating just how much of a threat the Patriots will be in 2020, with Newton, with some asking if they will reclaim the AFC East crown and be in contention for another Super Bowl titile.
“I’m excited as I don’t know what right now!” Newton, 31, stated on his official Instagram page.
According to the report, Newton passed the physical and is healthy, with both his shoulder and foot “checking out well,”adding that “He is hungrier than ever and eager for the next opportunity.”
But does it automatically vault the Patriots back to their superior rank in the NFL’s hierarchy?
Since his MVP season in 2015, when Newton led the Panthers to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Denver Broncos, the former MVP had only brought the Panthers back to the playoffs once, in 2017.
Now, it’s a fair argument to make that Newton wasn’t exactly surrounded with weapons in Carolina, but it’s also fair to see that, aside from the offensive line, the same argument can be made for what Newton will have in New England, which had seen some dramatic roster overturn in 2020.
Above all else, Newton’s success will be completely reliant on his health moving forward. Newton missed 14 games last season with a Lisfranc injury and the final two games of the 2018 season with a shoulder injury, that led to surgery as well.
The AFC East is a bit different too. The Buffalo Bills pose the biggest threat to take the crown from the Patriots, and the Miami Dolphins seem only a few short years away from making their own run.
However, a motivated Newton and the greatest head coach of all-time make a good argument that the Patriots are indeed back, and once again a threat to make another run to the Super Bowl.
Could Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers be waiting?
It remains to be seen, but what a storybook Super Bowl that would be.
For now, all eyes are back on New England and Cam Newton as the 2020 NFL season provides yet another intriguing storyline for fans to follow.
