Jay Glazer wrote back in May that he believed Jarrett Stidham was the New England Patriots’ quarterback of the future.
However, the NFL insider added there was “one major factor out there in Cam Newton,” a free agent at the time after being released by the Carolina Panthers.
Well, flash forward almost two months, and Newton has joined Stidham on New England’s quarterback depth chart, reportedly agreeing to a one-year, incentive-laden contract Sunday.
So, what does Glazer think about the signing?
“Newton to the Patriots is so, um, well, Patriots-like,” Glazer wrote in his latest mailbag for The Athletic published Monday. “A low-risk contract with a potential high reward if he returns to form. How many times have we seen veterans who seemed to be on their last legs go to the Patriots and then shine again? Bill Belichick has reignited the careers of many and it would not be surprising if he does it again with Newton.”
Newton reportedly can earn up to $7.5 million with incentives, which still is peanuts relative to other quarterbacks across the NFL. If he can stay healthy and recapture some of his old magic, the Patriots will have committed the steal of the offseason by plucking the 2015 NFL MVP off the open market.
Of course, Newton first will need to beat out Stidham and Brian Hoyer for New England’s starting quarterback job. And even then, there’s no guarantee Newton will thrive at age 31 after battling shoulder and foot injuries the past few seasons.
But there’s certainly enough upside to dream on if you’re the Patriots. And Belichick will come out looking like a genius (again) if Newton succeeds and New England remains a Super Bowl contender in wake of Tom Brady’s departure.
