Cam Newton had himself a Tuesday.
But not in the way Tom Brady did, by any means.
Day 2 of the NFL’s legal tampering period was a busy one, with Brady agreeing to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Teddy Bridgewater agreeing to a three-year deal with the Carolina Panthers.
So, where does that leave Newton in terms of being a member of Carolina’s roster? Apparently on different pages.
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The Panthers announced on Instagram they had given permission for the QB to seek a trade elsewhere. But if you ask Newton, that’s not the case.
Check out this screenshot of Newton’s response:
Breaking: Cam Newton says he never asked for a trade from the #Panthers, it came from the team. pic.twitter.com/Ium6IjIpew
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 17, 2020
If the confusing typing is too much for you, it reads:
“Stop with the word play!! Never asked for it!! There is no dodging this one. I love the @panthers to death and will always love you guys!! Please do not try and play me or manipulate the narrative and act like I wanted this; you forced me into this!!”
Yikes.
It’s probably safe to assume Newton won’t be a member of the Panthers next season and likely will look to be traded before the 2020 season kicks off. But should this sort of response scare off the other teams in the league?
Sure. Let’s just say if Newton doesn’t get traded, then there’s already going to be tension between him and Bridgewater. Nobody wants to feel like they’re walking on eggshells around one another — especially your own teammates.
It also adds unnecessary drama and could cause teams to think “what if he does this to us?” Now, we don’t know what happened on either side. Newton absolutely has a right to be angry and ask for a trade after Carolina brought in a new QB to lead the team he’s been part of for nine years. Should he have called out his team? Probably not.
Regardless, this easily could have been handled in house.
But there are a few (other) reasons, too.
It’s not unfair for Newton to want more security given he’s in the final year of his contract. But he’s also coming off back-to-back seasons that ended prematurely due to injury and still is rehabbing his foot from surgery he underwent in December.
Newton also will be 31 in May and hasn’t been the QB lately many expected him to be. So between his inconsistencies the last two seasons and his response on Instagram, there’s a lot to consider.
While each side certainly has a right to tell their side of the story, if Newton really was forced into feeling this was the only way out of Carolina, there are better ways to go about it rather than lashing on at your team on social media. It’s also not a good look to the other teams potentially looking to trade for Newton.
This divorce got ugly pretty quick, but the truth always comes out. And it wouldn’t be all that shocking to see the 2015 MVP get a second chance at a fresh start.
