Patriots' Cam Newton Says He Feeds Off Haters: 'I Just Use It to My Advantage'

Cam Newton says he plans on using his doubters to fuel his play heading into the 2021 season. 

“Simple,” Newton said on Instagram. “Feed your focus. Feed it. If the hate ain’t in my focus, I don’t feed it. I feed off of it, but I don’t feed it. It’s two different things. When I sense or when I dwell on hatred, that’s the product that’s gonna come out: rage, anger. But that’s the hatred using me, not me using the hatred. So I want to process that and make that fuel me. I don’t dwell on what a person may say, what this person may say, she say, I just use it to my advantage and I feed what I want it to feed.”

Newton is expected to enter the 2021 season as the Patriots' starting quarterback after a disappointing first campaign with the franchise. He threw for 2,657 yards and eight touchdowns against 10 interceptions while adding 592 yards and 12 scores on the ground.

The Patriots finished 7-9, their first below-.500 season since 2000. 

While New England went into the offseason motivated to load up on offensive talent—the team signed tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, along with wideouts Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne—Bill Belichick also used a first-round pick on quarterback Mac Jones. The Alabama product is viewed as the Patriots' quarterback of the future, meaning Newton will be on borrowed time this season—even if he's entering camp as the no-doubt starter.

Newton is now more than a half-decade removed from his MVP-winning 2015 season, with an injury history longer than a CVS receipt. It's highly likely his best football is behind him at age 32, but he's far better than he showed last season.

If Newton can prove his doubters wrong like he expects, he should be in for a bounce-back 2021.