It took three months, but former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton finally found a new NFL home. The former NFL MVP signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots and will compete with 2019 fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham and 11-year veteran Brian Hoyer for the starting job in Foxborough. Newton hasn't been guaranteed the Patriots' starting job, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic.
Newton is coming off a Lisfranc fracture, and NFL teams haven't been able to perform a physical on the quarterback due to the offseason restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With training camps less than a month away, the deal for Newton is seen as a low-risk move by Bill Belichick and the Patriots.
It's a low-cost response to Tom Brady leaving with the potential for a significant upside.
Newton's contract is reportedly worth up to $7.5 million, but it has been described as "incentive-laden." Ian Rapoport of NFL Network called it a "bare minimum deal" while reporting the signing.
Source: The #Patriots are signing Cam Newton to a 1-year deal. A chance to compete. This has been in the works. A bare minimum deal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 28, 2020
Those details have led San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman to wonder why a former league MVP, a "transcendent talent," is having to sign such a deal while other less talented quarterbacks are making more. He calls the situation "disgusting."
How many former League MVPs have had to sign for the min? (Asking for a friend.) just ridiculous. A transcendent talent and less talented QBs are getting 15/16m a year. Disgusting https://t.co/eZycGL8qkZ
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) June 29, 2020
Sherman doesn't specifically name any of those "less talented" quarterbacks, but the 49ers cornerback obviously believes Newton deserves more. Clearly, the injury and the pandemic had a lot to do with Newton's specific situation. Regardless, he will likely have an opportunity to prove himself, start, and reach some of those incentives.
Sherman is entering the final year of the three-year deal he signed with the 49ers in 2018 and is coming off one of the better statistical seasons of his career. Pro Football Focus gave him the highest coverage grade (90.5) and highest overall grade (90.3) among cornerbacks from last season, including the playoffs.
The 49ers and Patriots are scheduled to face one another at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, October 25.
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