If for nothing else, this was a taste of the good old days for Pats fans. You know, when talented but troubled (Randy Moss, Corey Dillon, Rodney Harrison, Darrelle Revis, etc) veterans came here and revitalized their careers through a combination of winning and Bill Belichick doing his best to gloss over all their flaws. Lately when we think of New England, we have night terrors of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski choosing to go to the Buccaneers which will never sound right while we had to grudgingly accept that the dynasty was finally over after all those unforgettable years.
Don't get it twisted though, I'm not a Cam Newton fan at all. I think that he is undoubtedly one of the biggest bozos in sports. I can't even pretend that he has much left since coming off of two shoulder injuries and a foot injury, he only appeared in two games last season for the Panthers and was unceremoniously released by the only team that he's ever played for in the NFL after being drafted No. 1 overall out of Auburn in 2011. That surprising move happened at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in America but it might as well have been 20 years ago given how the last few months have aged us all in dog years.
Hell, I'm not even convinced (who could be?) that there will be an NFL season this fall and winter. Still, this was a classic Belichick move because there is basically no risk to him or the team while the possibility of a huge reward from an ultra-motivated former NFL MVP (in 2015) who led his team to the Super Bowl that season (where he of course epically choked). He's also a three-time Pro Bowler and he was once an All-Pro. The anointing of the completely unproven Jarrett Stidham as Brady's replacement has been laughable from both local and national media alike to the many Patriots fans who lost their objectivity three or four Super Bowl wins ago.
Conversely, this should motivate Stidham as well (and don't bother mentioning the definition of a backup QB Brian Hoyer) and show him that he'll have to work extremely hard to be the Patriots starting quarterback even if they are in full rebuilding mode. It is crazy that Newton was a free agent for three and a half months before the Pats finally gave him a job. I lost count of how many Newton to the Pats rumors, stories and odds from Vegas sportsbooks that I read during quarantine before like everyone else, I rightfully moved on and focused on more pertinent subjects like you know, the world coming apart at the seams due to this horrifying epidemic and all the protests around the globe following George Floyd's tragic death.
Assuming that he ever plays a snap for the Patriots (a big if given Belichick's tendency to trade or release just about anyone in training camp), Cam will make this team way more interesting to follow. Who knows anything about Stidham or moreover, enough to make you excited to see him with far too much responsibility heaped on him in only the second year of his NFL career. Newton's press conferences are always must-see for his one-of-a-kind questionable fashion choices plus his absolutely mercurial interview style. Most importantly, you can bet that if he has any pride-or common sense-left, he will understand that this is his last/best chance to get his NFL journey back untracked. Success here would no doubt make him a star once again and not just a punch line or hey whatever happened to him type story? If he wants to be a top player in the NFL once again, the greatest head coach in the league's history and one of the best run franchises in American sports will surely find a way to get the most out of him no matter if he is here for a single season or five.
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