Getty Cam Newton
Hold everything.
Don’t close the door on a Cam Newton return to the New England Patriots in 2021. There is tons of speculation about Newton and the Pats parting ways, but according to a recent report, that discussion is a bit premature.
NFL insider Josina Anderson reports, the Patriots are a long way from making a decision on Newton’s future with the team.
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Management’s Thoughts Are Often Different Than Public Narrative
If you haven’t learned this yet, it’s something you should take heed to immediately: a team’s ownership and management group’s thoughts are often much different than the narrative being pushed by the media and implanted in the brains of fans.
While many people are convinced the Patriots need to move on from Newton, Bill Belichick and Co. may not agree. In fact, the comments made throughout the season, and even after the Week 17 win over the New York Jets suggests the powers that be are fond of Newton.
That certainly isn’t consistent with what we saw and heard predominantly from fans and members of the local media.
Consider this: despite a pretty widespread outcry for change, the Chicago Bears opted to stay with general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy heading into 2021. Most Bears fans you encounter on social media blast both men. They may make some good points related to questionable playcalling, a lack of B development in relation to Mitchell Trubisky, and failed draft picks, but there is often more to the big picture than what fans see, and teams make decisions considering all of the factors.
Sometimes they work out, and other times they don’t.
Reason for Optimism if Newton Returns
I’m not in the camp of people who are really down on Newton. Could his year have been better? Sure. Was he inaccurate at times on short throws? Yes, but was he as bad as some will lead you to believe? No, it’s a repeated narrative that was born from prisoner-of-the-moment thinking and less-than-holistic statistical analysis that didn’t take into account the limited weapons and restricted playcalling Newton (caused by a somewhat limited grasp of the new offense).
Newton didn’t have enough time to gain an ample level of comfort with the new system because of the pandemic and his late signing. By the way, he also caught COVID in Week 4, which derailed arguably his best stretch during the season.
Remember, after the Week 3 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, the main storyline in New England was when the Patriots would not only extend Newton but give him a raise.
Because of how quickly things can change, the Patriots’ brass understands that if they bring Newton back, armed with a full year and offseason mastering the team’s offense, and provide him with better weapons, there is a chance they can flip the narrative again.
We don’t know for sure how this will end. Perhaps the two sides will part, but it’s important to know that the speculation isn’t always indicative of a team’s thought process.
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