There are plenty of question marks hovering over Cam Newton as the start of his first season with the New England Patriots approaches.
First and foremost, it’s unknown whether Newton, who’s coming off a pair of season-ending injuries, is 100 percent healthy. And if the veteran quarterback is at full health, it remains to be seen if he’s capable of returning to top-tier form.
Peter King, however, is most curious to see what kind of playing style Newton utilizes in his first go-around with the Patriots, especially considering the QB’s dual-threat abilities theoretically could cover up some other holes within New England’s offense.
“I think the biggest question for Cam Newton — is he going to be the dual-threat quarterback that made him such an incredible player three, four, five years ago? That’s going to be the question,” King said Tuesday on NBC Sports. “About 13 months ago in Spartanburg, S.C., I got Cam Newton for 20 minutes and he talked about changing his style of play as a quarterback. He saw what quarterbacks did late in their careers to prolong their career. Even though he was only 30 years old, you can’t keep taking the beating Cam Newton took and expect to be playing until you’re 38 or 40 years old.
“So he was on the way to changing. Now, my question is, you know, is Josh McDaniels going to give him 80 to 100 rush attempts because he knows that’s the way he’s got to play to move the chains? A mobile, versatile quarterback can make up for a lot of ills in a receiving corps.”
King’s question, to an extent, likely will be answered this Sunday when Newton makes his Patriots debut against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.
Thumbnail photo via James Lang/USA TODAY Sports Images
