It’s not always easy playing for Bill Belichick.
Might Cam Newton learn that the hard way?
How the New England Patriots head coach and quarterback get along and work together will be a fascinating storyline in the 2020 season, assuming it gets played. One of Newton’s former Carolina Panthers teammates, Kyle Love — who himself spent three years with the Patriots — is skeptical about whether Newton will be able to make it worth with the notoriously demanding Belichick.
“Being a professional in New England is different from being a professional in Carolina,” Love told the Boston Herald. “It’s a whole different ballgame. Bill wants things run a certain way, wants things practiced a certain way and said in a certain way in the classroom and in the media.
“New England is not for everybody. Every player does not fit well there physically or mentally.”
Where things really could get dicey, Love thinks, is after Newton plays poorly. Belichick famously is unafraid to criticize any and all players, including former QB Tom Brady.
So, what happens when Belichick rips Newton for failing to make a play the Foxboro High QB could have made?
“This is just my opinion, but I don’t feel like Cam can take the pressure of coaches talking down to him about his play,” Love told the Herald. “If he had a bad game in Carolina, the coaching staff wouldn’t say much to him because they may have felt he could be a little frail about it or maybe pout. They never really corrected to the point Bill used to correct time.”
It’s a fair thing to wonder, sure. But it’s also worth noting Newton has to know what he’s getting into with Belichick and the Patriots. If he comes into Foxboro and takes the coaching and performs well, it’s a chance to revitalize his entire career, not to mention make a whole boatload of money down the road.
Belichick also has seemingly softened his approach in recent years, and it’s worth wondering whether he’ll further tailor his coaching style this season amid COVID-19 and all the roster turnover the Patriots face.
