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We all knew Cam Newton’s contract with the New England Patriots was packed with incentives. On Thursday, we found out the details. Per NFL insider Field Yates, here is a breakdown of what Newton has to accomplish if he is to reach all of his incentives and collect all of the $7.5 million available in salary for him from the Patriots.
A full breakdown of Cam Newton’s contract with the Patriots, which includes $3.75M in playing-time incentives and a maximum value of $7.5M if the team wins the Super Bowl.
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Breaking Down Cam Newton’s Incentives
To begin with, the top end of this salary isn’t even commensurate with the level of success he’s being tasked with leading the team to in what could be his only season in Foxborough.
Essentially, Newton, a former NFL MVP who is still just 31 years old, has to be arguably the best quarterback in the league in 2020–and lead the Patriots to their seventh Super Bowl championship–just to earn what the Los Angeles Chargers’ Tyrod Taylor will cost his team against the salary cap next season.
That’s a jarring concept to absorb.
It’s no wonder Newton has said this isn’t about money, it’s about respect. With such a small amount of money (proportionately speaking) coming his way, it can’t be about the dollar signs. There’s no wonder the Patriots pulled out all of the stops on his welcome video. If Newton is even a Top-15 quarterback in 2020, the team has saved major money on his deal. What’re a few man-hours to create a splashy Instagram video?
Newton is Positioned for a Huge Financial Future
I’m not implying Newton is destitute or strapped for cash.
He will likely be fine financially. He has a ton of options and earning potential outside of football. He’s also planted tons of good seeds throughout his time in the NFL. Because of that, he’s in a great position to focus his attention on silencing his critics. If things go as planned, he’ll be in line for a massive contract heading into the 2021 season, and the Patriots will have a serious quandary on their hands.
Do they invest in Newton in the form of a three or four-year deal at something close to $30 million per season, or watch him walk away and get paid by a team like the Chicago Bears in 2021 after he has rebuilt his status level with the Patriots in 2020?
That’s a question that might be posted and answered throughout the upcoming season numerous times. The more it’s being discussed, the better Newton and the Patriots must be playing.
It’s safe to say, the Patriots and their fans should be happy if it remains a hot topic all year long.
Also Read:
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- Patriots Veteran Takes Major Pay Cut to Stay With Team