Patriots re-sign quarterback Cam Newton to an incentive-laden one-year contract

Update 3/12/2021: Patriots re-sign quarterback Cam Newton to an incentive-laden one-year contract

The first reports about the value of Cam Newton’s new one-year deal with the Patriots had it at “close to $14 million.” However, as ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss pointed out on Friday, context is important: $6 million of the deal are reportedly tied to individual honors and how far New England might advance in the playoffs.

Given that all of those would be classified as not likely to be earned and thus not counted against the Patriots’ salary cap at this point, Newton’s cap hit will likely not exceed $8 million.

Update 3/12/2021: Patriots re-sign quarterback Cam Newton to a one-year contract worth ‘close to $14 million’

While the full breakdown of the contract will show how much it really impacts the Patriots’ salary cap number for the 2021 season, Newton’s new deal will be worth “close to $14 million” according ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Original story 3/12/2021: Patriots re-sign quarterback Cam Newton to a one-year contract

The New England Patriots have made the first re-signing of their 2021 free agency class: according to a report by Jim McBride of the Boston Globe, the Patriots will keep quarterback Cam Newton on a one-year contract.

Newton originally joined the Patriots last summer on a one-year pact to help replace free agency departee Tom Brady. He eventually secured the starting quarterback position by beating out Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer in training camp, and went on to start 15 of the team’s 16 games during the 2020 season.

However, the long-time Carolina Panthers quarterback struggled during his first year in New England. Playing alongside a sub-par supporting cast and learning a new system on the fly — all while also missing time after a positive Coronavirus test — he was one of the least efficient passers in football.

All in all, Newton did complete 242 of 368 pass attempts for a rate of 65.8 percent, but he only gained 2,657 yards through the air while throwing just 8 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. He was more effective as a runner — he carried the football 127 times for 602 yards as well as 12 touchdowns — but still failed to help the Patriots offense overcome its struggles.

Even though he struggled in 2020 and is no longer the same impressive dual-threat quarterback he was earlier in his career, the Patriots bringing Newton back on another one-year contract — something he previously said he would be interested in — is a good move. He knows the system, is well respected within the locker room, and could hold down the fort until the next franchise quarterback is ready to take over.