Cam Newton has a new home in the NFL, which undoubtedly makes him a happy camper, but the deal itself has All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman shaking his head. By signing with the New England Patriots, the former quintessential league player replaces another from Tom Brady – three months after being released from the only organization he knows in the Carolina Panthers . As determined Newton prepares to try to recover as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and under the tutelage of legendary trainer Bill Belichick, but he will do so with a one-year contract to prove it.
Given Newton’s resume, Sherman finds the deal disrespectful, to say the least.
“How many former league MVPs have had to sign for the [minimum]? Asking a friend, “the defensive back of the San Francisco 49ers star posed on Twitter immediately after news of the signing.” Just ridiculous. Transcendent talent and less talented QBs [$15 million – $16 million] one year. Repugnant.”
And he is not alone in this feeling.
“Totally agree,” said recently retired security man Eric Weddle in response to Sherman’s message.
Newton’s Patriots deal reportedly worth more than $ 7.5 million by 2020, in stark contrast to the fully guaranteed two-year, $ 50 million deal given to Brady by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . However, these two things do not exactly compare apples, since the latter has six Super Bowl rings in his trophy case and has chosen to walk away in free agency rather than being released unexpectedly. . In addition, Sherman does not point to Brady’s contract with his comment, or at least not directly, but aims more at what he considers to be a lower quarterback level, of which Newton is better than but earns less.
In many ways, Sherman is right.
One example is Chase Daniel, a 33-year-old companion who signed a $ 13.05 million three-year contract – including a signing bonus of $ 2.25 million – this offseason with the Detroit Lions, the seventh team in his career as a replacement with a record of 2-3 when called upon to start. And then there is Taysom Hill, the quarterback of the third chain of the New Orleans Saints who signed a contract for $ 16.3 million (average of $ 8.15 million) this off-season to sit behind a newly signed backup to Jameis Winston, or the fact that the Las Vegas Raiders are paying Marcus Mariota an average of $ 8.8 million over the next two seasons to play Derek Carr’s second violin.
And so on.
However, few comparisons will come home like that of Teddy Bridgewater, who replaces Newton as quarterback of the Carolina Panthers franchise on a three-year contract that averages $ 21 million per season, despite the fact that Bridgewater has served as a replacement for the Saints in the past two seasons.
Because while Bridgewater has proven itself as a capable starter when he is in good health, he does not have Newton’s CV.
That said, there are also points that contradict Sherman’s current of thought, at least to some extent, as there have been many examples in the history of the NFL where renowned veterans have taken less money at the end of their career to have a chance of redemption. And when that redemption shot is also tied to what could be a last chance to win a Super Bowl, it stands to reason that money would be less of an issue for a player like Newton – who won over $ 121.39 million. dollars since being selected as the top global pick in 2011.
Newton also came from a shoulder injury that cost him 14 games in 2019 and given the fact that he has struggled with a growing list of injuries in recent seasons, questions about its durability have no doubt entered into contractual talks with the Patriots and any other club with which it has had discussions.
In the end, Sherman is neither completely on nor off the ground, because although there are clear examples of Newton paid less than those he performed much better than on the road to becoming one of the best players in Panthers history, he also carries his own set of risks that include a combined 6-10 record in the past two seasons. Yet the Patriots pay him $ 6.45 million more than the league minimum for a player with his tenure, which sounds like a good balance between respecting what he has done and can still be in good health, and a certain apprehension surrounding its performance and durability recently (Newton having understood this when he signed).
Have they underpaid? You could discuss it, or you could say that other teams are paying too much for their backups.
