Should Cam Newton follow Greg Olsen into retirement?
By Dean Jones
Another crossroads offseason for Cam Newton
If the 2020 offseason was a crossroads for Cam Newton, this one promises to be even more uncertain. He was not exactly afforded gifted weapons in the passing game during his one year in New England, which was one of the primary factors behind Tom Brady opting to leave the Patriots after a two-decade stint that brought six Super Bowls to the organization.
Newton had little alternative other than to accept the only route he had to be a starter again at the earliest possible opportunity, even if it didn’t work out as he had hoped. He contracted COVID-19 when it looked like the former Auburn sensation was generating some real momentum, and even though there were some nice moments throughout the campaign, it wasn’t quite the same.
The NFL waits for no man.
No matter what you have done in the past.
Whether Newton is deserving of getting a pass for his production this season is up for debate. He hadn’t seen the field for the best part of two years thanks to shoulder and foot injuries with the Carolina Panthers and even the most seasoned veteran needs time to reacclimatize following so long on the sidelines.
Newton somehow won seven games with a Patriots team that was devoid of offensive talent and had a plethora of influential players on defense opt-out due to health concerns.
He contributed towards 20 total touchdowns – 12 of those coming on the ground – so it might be a little too soon to write the iconic figure off just yet given the circumstances and disruption throughout the campaign.