The New England Patriots have provided Cam Newton with the opportunity to get his career back on track. It has opened the door to the conversation about his NFL future beyond the 2020 season. All that has also potentially led to head coach Bill Belichick becoming concerned about another NFL team positioning themselves to land Newton next offseason.

Cam Newton’s career reboot with the Patriots

Before Cam Newton joined the Patriots, there was much uncertainty around his NFL future.

Newton has taken full advantage of the opportunity to play with New England as he’s re-established himself as starting quarterback. Although his recent bout with COVID-19 impacted his play in Week 6 against the Denver Broncos, the 31-year-old has rejuvenated his career.

The three-time Pro Bowler finally looks healthy as he’s been a tremendous factor running the ball. The Patriots have done a strong job tailoring the offense around Newton’s skill set as he has piled up 225 rushing yards and five touchdowns in four games played.

Newton’s passing numbers are down, but he’s completing a career-high 68.1% of pass attempts. He has shown some promising chemistry playing alongside veteran wide receiver Julian Edelman, pushing the offense forward.

New England may hold a 2-3 record, but circumstances regarding COVID-19 have heavily impacted the team directly that have played into the team’s struggles. With that being the case, another NFL franchise has caught Bill Belichick’s attention as a potential free-agent landing spot for Newton next offseason.

Bill Belichick is worried Cam Newton could rejoin a familiar face

Cam Newton’s re-emergence as a starting quarterback has quickly put on the map his long-term future beyond the 2020 season. That has sparked a conversation about his plans for next offseason as he could hit the free-agent market.

The Washington Football Team under head coach Ron Rivera may already be positioning themselves to sign the former league MVP. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, the franchise’s decision to bench Dwayne Haskins may have caught Bill Belichick and the Patriots’ attention due to Rivera’s strong connection to Newton dating back to their Carolina Panthers’ days.

“Something happened in the past couple of weeks that I think reverberates in Foxorough. Dwayne Haskins got bench, and that means Washington has no long-term answer at the [quarterback] position and head coach in Ron Rivera and an offensive coordinator in Scott Turner who are very close with Cam.”

Before Newton inked a one-year deal with the Patriots, Washington was rumored to be a landing spot due to Rivera’s presence. It has become abundantly clear that Rivera has seen enough from Haskins to assess that he may not be the long-term answer.

What also fuels the fire is Kyle Allen being the starter moving forward while Alex Smith is ahead of Haskins on the depth chart. Washington’s quarterback position is quite muddy, which sets the table for Rivera to make a strong push next offseason to bring in his former longtime quarterback.

Patriots may have strong push ahead

The rumor mill will continue to churn throughout the season, especially if Cam Newton plays like a viable starting quarterback.

Newton has a golden opportunity ahead to earn his next long-term lucrative deal. The Patriots offer a situation where he can firmly entrench himself as the long-term answer for the franchise. His NFL future is directly in his hands, placing significant importance on the rest of the 2020 season.

If anything, it’s something to keep an eye on with both franchises over the coming months.