How much will Cam Newton command in 2021 free agency?
By Dean Jones
Cam Newton’s production in 2020
Considering that Cam Newton arrived at the Patriots late in the day, had no preseason games to develop chemistry, and contracted COVID-19 during the season, his production has been relatively impressive. His days of dominating games on almost every down as we saw with the Carolina Panthers might be over to a certain extent, but the quarterback is still able to make a significant difference.
Adaptation is the sign of any good quarterback. Newton has managed to adjust accordingly and if he had a better supporting cast around him, things would look far different.
It’s clear that the virus took a long time to get over from Newton’s perspective. This is something he freely admits but he has still completed 68.1 percent of his passes – which would be a career-high – on his way to 1,900 yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
However, you must acknowledge what Newton can do running the football when it comes to his production. He is still one of the NFL’s most feared quarterbacks when he gets out in space thanks to his outstanding physicality, gaining 341 rushing yards and nine touchdowns from 83 touches, designed or otherwise.
Newton’s outstanding 79.4 grade from Pro Football Focus is a further testament to how well he’s done in the face of significant adversity and what happened this offseason might just inspire him enough to prolong his career moving forward.