Steps back in the pocket, looks left, looks right, Justin Jefferson wide open across the field, Cam Newton steps up and…it’s about five yards short of his feet.
Weeoow, weeow, weeow, watch out Minnesota Vikings fans, that’s the sound of 2021 pulling you over. Slow Down. Newton, who was released by the New England Patriots on Tuesday has quickly become the subject of Vikings Twitter and message boards. Despite our desperate need for a backup, he makes absolutely no sense for this football team. Remember the pure excitement we had in 2010 when we couldn’t be happier for anything at the quarterback position not named Christian Ponder. Well, Cam Newton might as well be post-Eagles Donovan McNabb, but instead of the Campbell’s Soup belly, he’s sporting an array of top hats.
I know what you’re thinking, didn’t you just lambast Rick Spielman for not trading for *checks notes* Gardner Minshew? Yes, yes I did and with good reason.
Cam Newton is absolutely atrocious at this point in his career. Any Vikings fan clamoring for Cam Newton’s presence on this team clearly hasn’t watched him play since his MVP season. Cam averaged 220 yards/game with a combined 20 touchdowns and 15 turnovers in his brief stint with the Patriots. At the helm of a 20 point/game offense for the Pats last year, Newton looked every bit the reclamation project that his contract indicated.
One could argue this is Bill Belichick’s most important coaching season since his first Super Bowl run. He hates talking to the media and entirely despises the concept of wearing anything that isn’t cotton, but he sure as hell values his legacy. In the Tom Brady divorce, he watched his former lover go down and bump uglies with a man who still wears Kangol hats. The COVID opt-out excuse no longer works for Bill, and in his most pivotal season to date, he chose to roll with a rookie over a healthy Cam Newton. That speaks volumes.
I was able to craft an argument for passing on Newton without even mentioning the silver bullet (or should I say microchip). The guy gives us no added protection in the great Kirk Cousins COVID Sweepstakes of 2021. This man couldn’t even see the right doctor in his COVID protocols, imagine the nightmare Dr. Top Hat and Mr. Plexiglass would get into here. Next thing you know, U.S. Bank Stadium is going to turn into the Truman Show for these two. Once the 53-man roster cuts take place today, we will be able to find a younger, durable, more accurate quarterback than Cam Newton.
