Cam Newton's Odds For Comeback Player, MVP Awards Improve Greatly After Signing With Patriots
BOSTON (CBS) -- Cam Newton is now in New England. It has opened up a world of opportunities for the quarterback.
For starters, there's a great shot that he will indeed be a starting quarterback again. While injuries have hampered his last few seasons, the 31-year-old -- if healthy -- gives the Patriots their best win-now option in 2020. Maybe Jarrett Stidham is the future of the Patriots franchise, but Newton gives them their best opportunity to have some strong QB play in 2020 following the departure of Tom Brady.
And though the New England offense of the last 20 years doesn't really fit Newton's style, it's fair to say that New England fans are optimistic that Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels can figure out the best way to use a playmaker like Newton.
The NFL oddsmakers appear to agree, with Newton's odds for a pair of end-of-season awards skyrocketing as soon as he joined New England. Given his lost season in 2019, Newton was expected to compete for Comeback Player of the Year no matter where he ended up. But now that he's paired with Belichick and McDaniels, the quarterback owns the second-best odds to bring home that hardware next winter.
According to DraftKings, Newton is behind only Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the award:
1. Ben Roethlisberger: +300
2. Cam Newton: +400
3. J.J. Watt: +700
4. Matthew Stafford: +800
5. Rob Gronkowski: +800
6. Antonio Brown: +1000
Roethlisberger has a bit of a leg up on Newton, given he's returning to the same offense he's played in for years. But after signing in New England, Newton's odds shot up from +1400, so the oddsmakers clearly like the possibilities for the QB with the Patriots.
Newton also saw his MVP odds improve drastically after signing on with the Patriots, moving into the Top 10, via DraftKings.
1. Patrick Mahomes: +400
2. Lamar Jackson: +700
3. Russell Wilson: +800
4. Dak Prescott: +1400
5. Tom Brady: +1600
6. Carson Wentz: +2000
7. Drew Brees: +2500
8. Kyler Murray: +2500
9. Deshaun Watson: +2500
10. Cam Newton: +3000
The MVP may be a bit of a longshot. Those are some pretty talented passers ahead of Newton. Newton will have to do some pretty spectacular things in 2020 to beat out the likes of Mahomes and Jackson, and then there's also that highly motivated Brady guy down in Tampa Bay.
But if Newton is a big part of New England's success in 2020, he will have a real good shot at being part of the mix. He won the award back in 2015 with a monster season -- throwing for over 3,800 yards and 35 touchdowns while rushing for 10 additional scores -- and is just two seasons removed from a 3,400-yard, 24-touchdown season in 2018. If he meshes with Belichick and McDaniels, good things could happen for all parties.
A successful bounce back season for Newton in 2020 would be great news for the Patriots, and could lead to a more expansive trophy room for the quarterback.
