Quarterback Cam Newton has agreed to a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen. The incentive-laden deal is worth a maximum of $7.5 million, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Newton's deal does not include a provision preventing New England from applying a 2021 franchise tag on the former league MVP, according to CBS NFL insider Jason La Canfora. On Wednesday, La Canfora reported that Newton's base salary for the 2020 season is $1.05 million with $550,000 guaranteed at signing. Newton can make up to $6.45 million more in incentives/per-game roster bonuses.
Newton, who was released by the Carolina Panthers back on March 24, will join a Patriots quarterback room that currently includes Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer and rookies Brian Lewerke and J'Mar Smith. The Patriots did not draft a quarterback despite losing future Hall of Famer and six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, who signed a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earlier this offseason.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Newton and the Patriots had some contact shortly after Newton became a free agent. Speaking to reporters on May 7, coach Bill Belichick did not rule out the possibility of the Patriots signing a veteran quarterback. "You never know what's going to happen down the road," he said, "but we feel like we have four good players there."
Cam Newton has joined the Patriots and there's a lot to go over. Will Brinson and the Pick Six Podcast Superfriends dive into everything about New England signing the ex-MVP; listen below and be sure to subscribe here for daily NFL goodness.
A former No. 1 overall pick, Newton has a 71-59-1 career record as a starting quarterback. He has thrown for 29,041 yards (completing 59.6% of his passes) with 182 touchdowns and 108 interceptions. One of the most mobile quarterbacks in league history, Newton has rushed for 4,806 yards and 58 touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. In 2015, Newton became the first quarterback in league history to throw 35 touchdowns and run for 10 scores in the same season.
CBS Sports data analyst Stephen Oh crunched the numbers and says with Newton the Patriots have jumped up to having the third-best odds to win the AFC and are the favorites to win the AFC East. Here's how Oh's numbers look in other areas when comparing the Pats with Stidham at quarterback vs. with Newton:
| Patriots | Wins | Win% | Division | Playoffs | Conference | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
With Stidham | 7.8 | 48.8% | 28.2% | 43.4% | 2.2% | 0.9% |
With Newton | 9.3 | 58.1% | 55.0% | 72.7% | 7.9% | 3.8% |
Difference | 1.5 | 9.4% | 26.8% | 29.3% | 5.7% | 2.9% |
Newton is coming off a foot injury that kept him sidelined for the majority of the 2019 season. The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner won NFL MVP honors in 2015 after helping the Panthers win 15 regular season games en route to an appearance in Super Bowl 50.
Over the past several months, the 31-year-old Newton has regularly posted updates of his workouts via social media. Newton's most recent workout video was posted on Saturday, a day before news broke of him agreeing to terms with the Patriots.
