Richard Sherman points out the big problem with Cam Newton's 'ridiculous' Patriots contract
Yahoo Sports
LIZ ROSCHER
Jun 29th 2020 11:18AM
Quarterback Cam Newton finally found a new home Sunday night,
reportedly signing an incentive-laden one-year deal with the New England Patriots. With incentives, the league minimum deal ($1.05 million) could be worth up to $7.5 million, but San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman has a problem with it.
Sherman tweeted about Newton’s deal on Sunday night, pointing out the major issue: money.
Newton was named NFL MVP in 2015, but has struggled with injuries the past few years. That certainly made him a risk, but his talent can’t be denied. Even in 2018, when he struggled with a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery, Newton completed 67.9 percent of his passes, by far a career high and ninth-best in the NFL.
Even though Newton was the most talented quarterback left available on the market this offseason, and had been for quite some time, he remained unsigned for longer than he should have been. Teams forked over more money for lesser quarterbacks, making Newton’s deal seem like an even bigger steal.
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Dear GM/Dr. Sherman,
There is more than good reason for the hesitancy of signing Newton......and leading to the structure of the contract. Newton is coming off of the Achilles rupture and an unproven older major shoulder injury/surgery. You quote his 2018 stats, when he played through some relatively minor injury of his labrum, which he turned into a major labrum tear AND rotator cuff tear in week 14 (a game where he precipitously fell to a 55% completion rate with only 4.5 yds per attempt).
He returned after undergoing shoulder surgery to play only 2 games before sustaining a Lisfranc injury. During his two 2019 games, he managed only a 55% completion rate with 6.4 yd per attempt, 0 TDs and 1 INT. And with the additional wear on his newly repaired shoulder in his second game, it was evident he was performing at a significantly lower level in his second game than in his first game, which was not what you want to see.
So now going into the next season, he indeed needs to not only prove that his shoulder will hold up under the maximal testing of a full season, but also prove that his foot will not significantly negatively affect his ability to step into his throws and his ability to explosively push off and change direction...............the latter being a hallmark of his game.
As unfortunate as you may believe it is, players should not be payed according to what they have done in the past (although some are)..........only on the basis of what they may able to realistically bring to the table in the future.
GM/Dr. Sherman, as a closing.................Newton recognizes the situation realistically and is taking a rational approach...............something that too often bypasses you.
