Getty Kyle Love
Kyle Love is in a unique position.
He is one of the only players in the NFL who has played with Cam Newton and for New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Love recently spoke about the two men and he says he fears Newton and Belichick could be headed for problems.
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Kyle Love Fears Cam Newton and Bill Belichick Could Have Issues
Love began his career with the Patriots in 2010 and he spent the first three seasons of his NFL career in New England until he was released ahead of the 2013 season after a physical revealed he had Type 2 Diabetes.
Love then spent the 2013 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Kansas City Chiefs before finding a home with the Carolina Panthers in 2014 where he’s played the last six years. From 2014-19, he and Newton were teammates and Love was a part of the 2015 team that went to the Super Bowl. That was also the year Newton won NFL MVP.
In a recent interview with The Boston Herald, Love boldly spoke about what he sees as a potential issue on the horizon between Newton and Belichick.
This is just my opinion, but I don’t feel like Cam can take the pressure of coaches talking down about his play. If he had a bad game in Carolina, the coaching staff wouldn’t say much to him because they may have felt he could be a little frail about it or maybe pout. They never really corrected to the point Bill [Belichick] used to correct Tom [Brady].
We’ve heard from others that Newton was treated like a king in Carolina, so a part of this isn’t a shock, or even too much different than any other player who has been brought into a franchise as the No. 1-overall pick, and who has been largely tasked with being the team’s on-field savior.
The suggestion that Newton will expect the same kind of treatment is another thing. Love added more with this quote from the interview.
Bill’s going to be Bill and he’s going to let Cam know how he feels no matter what. Everybody is treated equal, and I actually love that about Bill because that let the whole team know you’re going to be held accountable. My fear is, can Cam fit in that box? Because I want Cam to win. I want Cam to be successful. I want to see him win games, and even a championship, because I love that dude. I just hope he can do that within the guidelines of what Bill wants.
Are We Assuming Newton and Belichick Are Both Insane?
The belief that neither Newton nor Belichick is smart enough to understand what they’re getting into is one of the more egregious takes floating around as it pertains to this gridiron marriage. Belichick knows he cannot coach every player the exact same way. Any good leader knows that the same delivery doesn’t always get the best out of each and every person on your watch.
I’ve heard so many other Patriots players say that this hardline, one-way attitude many associate with Belichick isn’t entirely true. For Belichick to believe that he can talk to Newton, a player he’s never coached and who comes to the organization with his own set of accomplishments, the same way he spoke to Brady, a player he drafted in the sixth round, who began his career as a backup and then progressed to a game manager before evolving into the GOAT, is asinine.
As ESPN’s Dominique Foxworth said in a recent spot with Ryan Clark and Molly Qerim Rose, players want to be treated fairly, but that’s not always equally.
On the flip side, Newton also recognizes where he is at this stage of his career. He knows he went without much interest during the offseason. He knows the Panthers pushed him aside to sign Teddy Bridgewater. He also knows Belichick and the Patriots have experienced far more success than he has in his career. It would be foolish for him to come into the building with a chip on his shoulder, a list of demands, and for him to be overly sensitive about criticism.
The lack of respect that Newton gets as a man and a professional seems to far outweigh the dismissive takes on his skill set. Newton would not have signed with the New England if he wasn’t willing to do things the “Patriot Way,” and Belichick wouldn’t have come calling (after doing tons of research) if he believed Newton wasn’t a fit.
It should be noted, Love didn’t appear to part ways with the Patriots on the best terms. He seems to feel that the team’s decision to release him after he failed the physical was a bit unfair, and he has said he uses it as motivation.
Back in 2015, Love said this as he talked about the Patriots releasing him with the Sporting News:
Every day I think about it. It eats me up. You do so much and you put so much work on the field. That somebody could just release you based off a physical problem that’s not going to stop you from playing football, it really grinds my gears.
Perhaps those gears are still grinding.