Account
Cam Newton, Patriots Agree to 1-Year Contract Worth Up to $14M with Incentives
March 12, 2021
The Cam Newton experiment is continuing in New England.
After an underwhelming campaign that contributed to the Patriots' worst record since 2000, Newton has reportedly re-signed with the team on a one-year contract.
Newton confirmed the deal was done on Instagram on Friday.
Jim McBride of the Boston Globe first reported the news. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the deal is worth up to $14 million, and it does not preclude New England from adding depth to the quarterback position, either through the draft, a trade or free agency.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network broke down the money in the deal:
The 31-year-old joined New England on a one-year, $1.75 million deal last season after nine years with the Carolina Panthers. He was called upon over backups Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer to fill the role of departed signal-caller Tom Brady, who later added a seventh Super Bowl ring to his resume with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Newton threw for 2,657 yards and eight touchdowns while completing 65.8 percent of his passes on a career-low 368 attempts. On the ground, he tallied 592 yards and 12 touchdowns.
In February, he said he was open to returning to the Patriots.
In a second act in New England, he'll reconnect with wide receivers Julian Edelman, N'Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers, the latter of whom led the team with 729 receiving yards, though he never found the end zone. Edelman, one of the longest-tenured Patriots players, was limited to 315 yards while appearing in six games, and Harry collected 309 through 14 games.
Running back Damien Harris, who led the team's rushing operation with 691 yards and two scores, will also likely be heavily featured for New England.
While Newton's first year in the Northeast was disappointing, it appears the Patriots organization is willing to chalk it up to natural adjustments after the departure of the quarterback who guided the offense for two decades.