Report: Cam Newton and Patriots agree to one-year incentive contract | Laundress report

Cam Newton will make a fresh start after apparently agreeing to an agreement with the New England Patriots.

According to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN, Newton and New England agreed on a “one year contract, incentive “.

The Carolina Panthers previously released the quarterback after nine seasons.

Shoulder and foot injuries have limited the 31-year-old in the past year, holding him back to just two starts in the Panthers’ last 18 games.

However, he made the difference when he was healthy with at least 3,000 passing yards and 300 rushing yards each season from 2011 to 2018. He won the 2015 NFL MVP award with 35 touchdown passes , a career peak, while leading the Panthers. 15-1 record and a trip to the Super Bowl.

Although the Panthers have evolved as a team since then, Newton continued to produce at a high level, achieving a personal best 67.9% of his passes in 14 games in 2018. His odds of 94.2 as a quarterback back this season was the second-highest in his career, while adding 488 rushing yards and four ground scores.

Carolina decided to move on after her injury in 2019, signing Teddy Bridgewater to take over from new coach Matt Rhule.

Newton remained a free agent throughout the 2020 NFL draft, and many have speculated that he was looking for a clear chance to start with a new team. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported in May that the quarterback was ready to play a backup role in the right situation.

His patience ultimately led him to a new job as he attempts to recover as a top player in this league while extending his career.

The signing gives New England a suitable replacement for Tom Brady after the future Hall of Fame signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent.

If he was in good health, Newton could provide the Patriots with a new attacking dimension with his racing ability, which the team did not get from Brady. This could be what is needed to keep the team in contention after the 11 consecutive AFC East Division titles.

Head coach Bill Belichick should also make the most of the veteran, as he did with Matt Cassel, Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett when they replaced Brady in the past.

It looked like the team was ready to stay with Jarrett Stidham after not recruiting a quarterback, but the latest addition could help the Patriots compete in 2020 and possibly beyond.