2:17pm: Newton’s contract marks a raise from his 2020 Patriots pact, but incentives comprise much of the deal. The former MVP passer’s accord carries a $5MM base value, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. This includes a $2MM signing bonus and $1.5MM guaranteed. The deal also contains $1.5MM in per-game roster bonuses, per Garafolo, who adds the other $9MM is tied to incentives.
9:45am: The Patriots will re-sign quarterback Cam Newton to a one-year deal, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The new deal could be “worth close to” $14MM, though the details of the deal are unclear. 
Newton’s new contract will not preclude the Patriots from adding another quarterback this offseason, Schefter hears. From the sound of it, Newton’s base value is rather low, making this yet another low-risk/high-reward pact for the Patriots.
Newton joined the Patriots last offseason to replace Tom Brady. Starting in 15 games, Newton threw for 2,657 yards while completing 65.8% of his throws — more accurate than most of his NFL seasons. Unfortunately, he also threw for just eight touchdowns against ten interceptions.
Newton started strong, but the former MVP dovetailed later in the year. His COVID-19 interruption didn’t help matters; nor did injuries to Julian Edelman, David Andrews, and Rex Burkhead. All in all, Newton went 7-8 as a starter and the Patriots finished 7-9.
Still, Bill Belichick reportedly loved coaching Newton. Despite concerns about his arm strength and his long-term health, the Patriots were happy to re-up Newton for another low-cost season.
Cam is a great guy, but I don’t get it.
I absolutely loved his post game candid answers but I’m also shocked. I’d have to assume they are bringing in competition or it’s gonna be another long year. Granted he had no weapons but that game against SF was hard to watch. He looked lost. He’s getting about that age where legs slow down and not to mention you become more and more injury prone as you get older. I’m almost 40 and in the best shape of my life and trust me it still matters. I’m a Cam fan and as much as I dislike the Pats I’d like to be wrong on him but unless he regains his touch he shouldn’t be anything more than an average backup.
He did have 12 rushing touchdowns that nobody seems to mention, but yeah, Newton should not be starting games for anyone.
Plenty of other options out there that would be better. I would have preferred Fitzpatrick. At least he can throw more than 10 yards. But, let’s see what he can do, and hopefully the Pats can get him some other WRs.
Dovetailed?
Yeah, I didn’t understand that euphemism either. Maybe dovetails stink?
Dovetail as in the woodworking joint. Dovetails are tapered so it infers his performance waned, lessend, deteriorated…etc
Only the pieces being joined are tapered, though, right? The joint itself is not. I think the author mis-used the word. In order for something like Newton’s performance to ‘dovetail’, it needs something else to dovetail with. Like, ‘Newton’s performance dovetailed with Belichick’s desire to field a bad team and miss the playoffs’. It’s a joint.
All this said, Newton looked pretty awful last year. I don’t get this move unless they plan on drafting a QB and using Newton as a mentor.
I am sure he meant curtailed.
I feel nauseous. Belichicks lost it. (1) How do you resign him after his performance last year? (2) Why do you pay him more than the veteran minimum? Good luck w/ fans back in the building this season, boo birds will be out early
You didn’t read it, did you? Low base with lots of incentives. It makes a lot of sense.
Technically the veteran minimum + incentives < low base + incentives
Can’t argue against technicalities. But in general, don’t feel sick. BB is still zigging while everyone else is zagging. This is still plenty of room to grab several of the high quality players who are suddenly available because of the cap issues. You can’t humiliate the guy with a minimum offer and then turn around and say you trust him to lead the team. The human brain doesn’t work that way.
And it begins…
@technically correct do you get it? Cam Newton is trash 8 tds to 10 picks….doesn’t matter about escalators the man can’t play!!!!
dont leave out his 12 rushing touchdowns. thats part of his production. Also who was he throwing to last season? Even Brady couldnt produce with those receivers
@tatsumaki, yes, I do get it. He was bad throwing to trash receivers last year behind a trash O-line, but still finished top 5 in rushing and #1 in rushing TDs. He was clearly impacted by COVID and lack of playmakers. On a cheap contract for QB, the org could pick up Golliday, Fuller or a number of impact receivers, plus a TE or two and suddenly the calculus has changed significantly for this team. I dislike the Patriots, but this is a smart play.
That “trash o-line” was ranked 4th by PFF
Now if the Pats led the league in drops, then some slack could have been given. They didn’t and Newton’s inability to hit open receivers, especially in the short-mid game is why he was trash.
People always want to blame others for Cam’s inadequacies.
Was anyone going to offer him half that amount?
The Red Sox.
Can’t see this as the last QB signing for the Patriots this offseason. Look for the Pat’s to draft their next QB and having Cam gives them options vs being force to play whomever they draft on day 1.
At $14M this is a bit more than I would have expected, but maybe that’s what Cam’s price was for doing only a 1 year deal. This does seem to shut the door on trying to pursue any reunion with Garoppolo
$14m is with all incentives hit.
#Doh
Sounds like $8 million with $6 million in possible bonuses. That’s backup an money these days. I don’t like it or hate it right now. All depends on what else happens….
Get him some weapons.
I bet you the Patriot fans we’re pulling their hair out last year. watching that pathetic passing attack last year, after watching Tom Brady performing miracles in every game, in each season.
now they know what 75% of the rest of the NFL felt watching bad quarterback play all the time
I for one did not. I mentally prepared myself the second Brady signed with Tampa that we would have sucked last year. This signing I am not a fan of, though at least the cost makes it easier to stomach.
Hopefully his name will be enough to grab some FA receivers/tight ends and we are able to grab Mac or Lance (the latter will probably be off the board by 15 unless trading up)
All these people complaining as if Can really had any options on offense. Their Wars sucked more than he did. He didn’t have a camp after surgery and all that time off and he wore down after starting off good plus he got COVID and missed time from that and anyone who’s had that knows you’re not the same for a while. He had nobody on offense and I mean NOBODY. Give the guy an actual chance! Let him have a camp, get him a couple weapons through the draft and free agency and see what he can do.
I went to comment o. the covid, but saw you mention. there is a significant drop in stamina/ endurance in addition to lung capacity that improves but has not gone away months later. a lot of people are less sensitive since it’s an athlete. but it’s real and certainly affected his play, but after that initial game, I’m sure he didn’t want to keep using the same excuse
The receivers we have/had doesn’t pardon his horrid ability to make reads, decisions or throw in the short-mid game. He had those issues in Carolina and brought them here.
COVID isn’t an excuse either. He was asymptomatic.
His offseason yet again isn’t an excuse. He wasn’t sitting on a couch rehabbing. Sure he started off ok, that Seattle game was against a historically bad defense that gave up like 1300 passing yards or something obscene like that.
Cam isn’t a starter anymore and people need to come to terms with that. 14-15M is absurd and EASILY could and would have gotten a better bridge QB
Cam wasn’t even good enough for the mediocre Panthers 2 years ago. He isn’t good enough now.
What a terrible day in New England
Anyone listening to The Sports Hub? Zo is pissed!
He should be
head scratcher…
Hmmmmmmmmm About 10 million more than most all other teams would have gave him…..Seems like the Pats bid up themselves.
You obviously haven’t looked at what QBs get paid. It’s low base with incentives that could be up to 14mil. Unless you have a rookie, that is still a massive bargain at QB even if he is awful.
You obviously did not watch how god awful Cam played last year It was like having Jesus at QB and then having to settle for Judas smh
Incorrect. I did watch. He was fine at times but had no one to throw to, no one to protect him, was still learning a new offense, and a number of other things. You got spoiled by Brady and need to come to terms with that will never happen again. But it also seems like you all forgot how cocky your fan base got after 3 weeks of Cam last year before all hell broke loose and everyone gave up on the season. Again, unless you can have a rookie contract, this is an exceptional contract for a backup QB, let alone a starting one.
Belichick is looking forward to the 2022 draft.
Nope. He drafts a QB early this year. Cam might be the starting QB early in the year, but look for their new QB to be starting games by the end of the season.
See Miami with Fitzpatrick -> Tagovailoa
he going to have to trade up to get something as right now with the 22nd pick you may and probably will have the top 5 qbs off the board by most mocks.
15th pick. Pretty big difference
Bill looking ahead to retirement and shagging that MILF lol
It’s not like Cam (or even Brady if we go back to 2019) had any significant weapons to throw to. Edelman is a solid receiver, but he can’t create significant separation and is better served as the “second guy” in a passing attack.
Don’t get me wrong, Cam didn’t have a good season but people do seem to forget about what he brought to the running game. This seems like a contract that the Pats could easily move on from via cutting Cam or in a trade as salary filler. Imo they probably decided to lock up Cam now so they can spend money in free agency at other positions (like WR). They could still sign another journeyman QB/draft a QB to compete with Cam and Stidham in whatever training camp looks like this year.
The rushing doesn’t even come close to making up for his colossal fail of a season through the air
Unless they take a QB early in the draft and this is a one year “help the kid learn” deal I don’t like this all that much. His arm is pooched.
Says his base is low so its incentive laden. That’s only fair to both sides. NFL has backups getting 8-9M per that almost never played in 12 yrs.
Thanks Patriots, Sincerely, AFC East
Belichick has lost it. Cam was mediocre 2 years ago.
He’s trash.
Love Cam! Sucks he plays for the Pats
Sucks for Pats fans, yeah
Let me get this straight they sign this useless QB but they want to trade their best player in Gilmore because he’s going to cost to much and he’s getting old And they need to worry about the future lol IN BILL WE TRUST what a joke this guys ego is getting way out of control
This is okay. Incentive based deal for experience guy like Cam. Now go get a higher upside guy.
I think Cam will have a much shorter leash this year. And I think he will have competition for the job.
shorter leash as in…hey cam only throw passes shorter than 10 yards and remember don’t win the game but also don’t lose it either Pats are done! Stick a fork in ’em!
Sad by you’re right!
An you imagine him. And and Belichek together? Going to be dominant
Another typical Friday night in Modesto.
Robert Kraft obviously had to pay his lawyers and Goodell big bucks to make his most recent scandal fade into oblivion so don’t expect the Patriots to spend heavily on a QB anytime soon.
Shut up!
Why the hell did they bring this scrub back? I guess they are giving up on next year too. I guess I will too, I’m not watching one game with the dirt bag under center!
Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out.
Anyone that will give them their hard earned money to watch this washed up never was, are an idiot! If that’s you, guess what you are. I guess you’re just follow along because you’re told to. This tram will win 7 games again with this turd u see center.
*under center.