Cam Newton is set to begin the next chapter of his career with the New England Patriots. Newton has secured the starting quarterback spot ahead of the 2020 season, which may be his most pivotal campaign. Before that gets underway, Newton decided to address one underlying issue that he’s faced since joining the Patriots.

Cam Newton named Patriots’ starting QB

Since Cam Newton landed with the Patriots, he has been pinned as the favorite to secure the starting quarterback spot.

Newton’s journey to that role has featured some massive hurdles beyond just learning the playbook. He ventured through the offseason sitting in the free-agent market for nearly three months. Meanwhile, training camp didn’t start until late July, which significantly shortened his time to get acquainted with his new teammates and physically work through plays on the practice field.

On top of that, the entire preseason was canceled, limiting the number of reps he could get in the Patriots’ offensive scheme. Despite that, Newton has secured the starting quarterback spot ahead of the 2020 season. It’s a chance for him to get back on the saddle as an elite talent in the league while securing his long-term future in New England.

Beyond that, Newton recently publicly addressed another obstacle he had to work past to get his shot with the Patriots.

Cam Newton calls out racially-charged doubts about his fit with Patriots

Cam Newton’s arrival to the Patriots officially signaled a dramatic shift in the franchise’s direction.

New England’s decision to sign Newton brought many questions concerning his fit into the Patriots’ offensive game plan. Along those lines, Newton addressed on Monday during an interview on WEEI the racially-guided doubts about him being a black quarterback attempting to play in New England’s offense.

“Honestly? We going honest? It is because I’m a Black athlete, a quarterback, that for a long time, I’ve been unapologetic. It’s because I have carried myself in a way that the media hasn’t gave me my just due. But yet at the same time, I do understand that and I don’t have no type of resentment toward that. I embrace who I am, I embrace the moment. I live in the moment. One of the quotes I live by is carpe diem.”

Newton also stated that these doubts bring into question his character and personality targeting a stereotypical narrative. Much of which puts a prima donna label on who he is as a person. In spite of that, the 31-year-old embraces who he is while working toward gaining the trust of his teammates and coaches to put his team in the best position to win.

These stereotypes are nothing new that Newton hasn’t faced before in his career, which only further fuels his drive to succeed.

Chance to prove doubters wrong in the 2020 season

Beyond these racially-charged doubts, there remain concerns about his ability to stay healthy throughout an entire season.

It’s something that he has struggled to do over the last two seasons, with his campaigns cut short due to injury. Newton has plenty of motivation ahead of him to put forth a strong bounce-back campaign that could land him the Comeback Player of the Year award.

The pressure is squarely on his shoulders to make the most of the opportunity. That could likely be his last to prove that he’s still a viable starting NFL quarterback. It will be pivotal in shaping the next chapter of his career as either a clear-cut starter or be looked upon as nothing more than a reliable backup option.

It all sets up what should be a highly entertaining 2020 season for the Patriots.