'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It’s a put up or shut up time in New England for quarterback Cam Newton. The veteran NFL QB enters Patriots training camp with immense pressure on his broad shoulders.
After a disappointing first season with the Patriots in which they failed to make the playoffs for the first time in ten years, all eyes are on Newton this preseason, especially on the back of the draft.
The 32-year-old, three-time Pro Bowl playmaker will need an impressive training camp to silence his doubters before the 2021 NFL season kicks off in September.
Newton’s teammates questioning his future with the team
There have been reports that Cam Newton's teammates have doubts about his future with the New England Patriots.
According to an NFL insider, several of the Pats quarterbacks' current teammates believe he simply isn’t the star player he once was. The lack of confidence in Newton’s abilities to turn things around in New England doesn’t bode well for his short- and long-term position on the team.
Of course, it's the coaches who will decide Newton's fate this season, but the rumblings out of the Patriots camp is that Bill Belichick is now open to an all-out quarterback competition.
A confident rookie waiting in the wings
From the moment the New England Patriots drafted Alabama quarterback Mac Jones 15th overall in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, Newton was essentially “on the clock.”
The 22-year-old rookie QB is seen by many as the future of the New England franchise. If he can outperform Cam Newton during training and continue to impress in pre-season, he could be the Pats' Week 1 starter.
Jones doesn’t have the physical gifts that Newton possesses, but he does have a big arm and accuracy that could propel him to a successful rookie season in the NFL.
Cam Newton's NFL career
The former number one overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft has had an impressive NFL career so far. The highlight of that career is the 2015/16 season when he won the league’s MVP award, made First-Team All-Pro and led the Carolina Panthers to Super Bowl 50.
The New England Patriots quarterback has played in 140 NFL games, throwing for 31,698 yards and 190 touchdowns. Newton has also rushed 1,071 times for 5,398 yards and 70 touchdowns.
Last season, Newton struggled in the passing game, throwing more interceptions (10) than passing TDs (8). He did, however, rush for 12 touchdowns in 2020.
