Cam Newton Re-Signing With Patriots On One-Year Deal
BOSTON (CBS) -- Cam Newton is getting another shot in New England. The Patriots are re-signing the quarterback for the 2021 season.
WBZ-TV has confirmed that the Patriots will sign Newton to a one-year deal, as first reported by the Boston Globe's Jim McBride Friday morning. The deal reportedly carries a base value of $5 million, with $9 million for a number of incentives.
Newton celebrated the news via a hype video on his Instagram account, saying he's ready to "run it back" in Chapter 2 with the Patriots.
Newton had an up-and-down first season with New England in 2020, struggling to pass the ball with any consistency. He threw for 2,657 yards and eight touchdowns with 10 interceptions. The 31-year-old completed a career-best 65.8 percent of his passes, but averaged just 177 passing yards per game.
Newton did show that he can still be a major factor in the run game though, amassing 592 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 137 carries. New England went 7-8 in games that he started, with Newton missing the team's Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after testing positive for COVID-19.
Bill Belichick signed Newton late last offseason to replace Tom Brady. Perhaps the head coach believes Newton can have a much better campaign in 2021 in his second season in the New England system. Newton will also have the benefit of a normal training camp and a preseason slate, which he did not get in 2020.
And maybe this time around, the Patriots will have a few more options for Newton in the passing game. New England has the third-most cap space to work with this offseason, along with nine picks in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The team will also likely add another quarterback to the mix, with Newton and Jarrett Stidham currently making up the QB depth chart.
