Cam Newton Has Interesting View On Bill Belichick-Josh McDaniels Relationship

Since joining the New England Patriots in July, Cam Newton has raved about his newly forged working relationships with Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels.

He also appreciates the bond he’s witnessed between the two Patriots coaches.

“It’s kind of like a father-son relationship,” Newton said Thursday in a video conference. “I know I may be speaking out of turn, but it’s so empowering just to see Coach Belichick and Coach McDaniels’ relationship. I know from what I have seen, Coach Belichick has so much trust in Coach McDaniels and vice versa.

“Obviously, if you’re going to be under someone’s tutelage, why not it be that specific person in Coach Bill.”

McDaniels has worked under Belichick for 17 of the last 20 seasons, including all six of the Patriots’ Super Bowl years. The 44-year-old is one of the NFL’s brightest offensive minds — a fact that’s been particularly evident this season as he’s transformed New England’s scheme to suit Newton’s skill set.

“Josh is a person who really pays attention to the details and tries to get that added incentive out of a player performance-wise as much as he can,” said Newton, who joined the Patriots in July after nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers.

“He stays on each and every person. The way he coaches me is the same way he coaches Doughboy (receiver N’Keal Harry), Hoyster (backup QB Brian Hoyer) and everybody else. That’s what you can love and respect about him.”

Earlier this week, McDaniels said he’s been “super impressed” with Newton’s willingness to take coaching.

“This guy has accomplished a lot in his career,” McDaniels said. “Being 10 years in the league and doing all the things he has done, coming here and having no familiarity with our coaching style, our system, or the way we do things, I have been incredibly impressed with the way he’s embraced it, looks forward to it, really wants to be coached, wants to be great, wants to improve and is a great example for a lot of our younger players.”