Cam Newton Blasted With Reality Check By Former NFL Star
In the weeks that have followed Cam Newton’s decision to join the New England Patriots, there have been plenty of reactions to the move. Much of which remains mostly positive around the potential seeing Newton bounce back as one of the top quarterbacks in the league. However, he has also seen some criticism tossed his way about how the free agency process transpired. In that vein, Newton received some harsh criticism from another former NFL star.
Cam Newton’s next NFL chapter
It wasn’t anywhere near the free agency experience that Cam Newton envisioned after being released by the Carolina Panthers.
Newton spent nearly three months in the open market that led to extended analysis around his NFL future. That shifted the conversation over to his character as talk centered on accepting a backup role with another franchise. Then 31-year-old was passed up by several teams that included initially by the Patriots before the two sides agreed to a deal.
The three-time Pro Bowler can get back on the mountaintop to prove he’s one of the game’s best talents. It’s a situation that will depend on what he makes of it in New England. Still, the door is open to him, re-establishing himself as a bonafide starting quarterback and earning another lucrative long-term contract.
Despite the promising situation afoot, Newton is still receiving sharp, harsh criticism from one of his former peers.
TJ Lang criticizes Cam Newton’s performance
The vast majority of the reaction to Cam Newton joining the Patriots has raved excitement about the promising potential in the 2020 season.
However, the dialogue hasn’t all been in a positive light as two-time Pro Bowler TJ Lang recently took to social media to bash Newton’s performance in the last couple of years. Lang isn’t entirely criticizing the former league MVP, but rather further emphasizing that he hasn’t played well. There some credence to those numbers, but he was dealing with nagging injuries over the last two years with a shoulder ailment in 2018 and a broken foot last season.
There will be detractors and doubters in any situation, but it shows that Newton has plenty of motivation to show that he still has much left in the tank to perform at a high level.
Chance to prove himself in 2020 season
The outside noise aside, Newton is heading into a situation where he can get his NFL career back on track.
The last two seasons have been filled with injury and disappointment, which has created the lingering doubt around him. It won’t be a starting job that will be handed to him, but rather test him against Jarrett Stidham, who the Patriots have strong confidence can be the long-term solution under center. The team isn’t committed to him for the long haul with an extremely inexpensive contract that only extends through this season.
I’t s a scenario that he’s stepping into where the deck is stacked against him to prove he is still a highly effective quarterback. That will start by learning the ins and out of the Patriots offense while showing how he can be a factor at the position like the team never had in the last two decades. Newton has the chance to secure a long-term future with the franchise while proving he can be the piece that continues to lead them to sustained success.
Ultimately, it’s all on his shoulders to make the most of the situation ahead.
