Former MVP quarterback Cam Newton threw at Auburn’s pro day on Tuesday in front of league scouts and coaches, as he tries to get back into the NFL.
Newton, 33, believes there aren’t 32 quarterbacks better than him in the NFL, saying “Tell me how these randoms keep getting jobs?” in a video posted to Twitter.
“Don’t worry about it,” he added. “I’m going to show you. I can’t wait to show you.”
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Well, Hall of Fame tight end and current co-host of Fox Sports’ “Undisputed,” Shannon Sharpe, had this to say about Newton’s attempt to get back in the league.
“Cam, in 2023, you’re one of the randoms,” Sharpe said bluntly. “I hate to break it to him, Skip. The last time Cam Newton won a game was 2020. The last time he passed for 3,000 yards in a season was 2018. The last time he started every game in a season was 2017. The last time he started a playoff game was 2017. The last time he made the Pro Bowl was 2015.
“Cam is basing everything on what he once was.”
CAM NEWTON’S BROTHER REVEALS WHY PRO DAY PARTICIPATION WAS IMPORTANT
Newton last played in an NFL game with the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 26, 2021. In that game, which Newton started, he was 7 of 13 for 61 yards and an interception. Carolina lost, 32-6, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Newton went 0-5 as a starter that year.
“They probably not telling you in your circle, that’s how the league looks at you now: You’re one of these randoms. You not a guy that [an organization] says, ‘We get Cam Newton, he’s going to alter the trajectory of our franchise.’ That’s not how they perceive you, that’s not how they’re looking at you.”
Newton responded to Sharpe’s rant on him, and while he didn’t bark back, the 2011 Offensive Rookie of the Year and three-time Pro Bowler replied candidly.
“Point taken @ShannonSharpe and I am not denying some facts that you bought (sic) up UNK #veryVALID,” Newton wrote in his uniquely cryptic font that appears on all his social media platforms. “But if you give me a full offseason to learn what I am supposed to do with a stable franchise. I promise you, I will prove that I’m no random sir – Love.”
Newton didn’t just throw at Auburn’s pro day because he’s been working to get back in the league. He also did so because his younger brother, Caylin, is a wide receiver looking to break into the league as well. Caylin Newton was originally a quarterback at Howard University before transferring to Auburn in 2020 followed by a stint at William & Mary this past year.
In fact, it was Caylin who invited his older brother to throw.
“This was him showing love to me,” Caylin Newton said, via ESPN. “He doesn’t owe anybody anything. He has had an amazing journey, an amazing career in the NFL. He has nothing to prove to anybody…. He came to show his ability, show he still has it.
“I think, for him, this was a selfless act. But it was also to show and prove to everybody he’s not sitting around. He’s still got it. Whatever organization wants to get a winning quarterback, his number’s still open and available.”
Newton didn’t speak to reporters after he threw 30 passes, which included a scramble out of an empty pocket and a 50-yard bomb to his brother.
EX-NFL MVP CAM NEWTON THROWS MORE THAN 30 PASSES AT AUBURN’S PRO DAY, EYES FOOTBALL COMEBACK
As Sharpe pointed out, though, Newton’s numbers have declined since he last threw for 3,000 yards in 2018. He had 3,395 yards with 24 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, owning a 6-8 record with the Panthers that year.
In 2019, however, Newton played just two games as a left foot injury would knock him out for the year. Newton’s shoulder has also been a point of emphasis when breaking down his play, as he needed surgery in 2016 to repair his rotator cuff. In 2018, the Panthers had to shut him down for the final two weeks after he tried playing through it during the season.
Newton eventually moved on to the New England Patriots in 2020, going 7-8 with 2,657 yards with eight touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He did run for 592 yards with 12 touchdowns, as his legs were still a weapon.
Will Newton get a call from an NFL team before training camp begins in late July? Sharpe believes teams will not tolerate Newton’s comments about the 32 other quarterbacks who will be starters this season. If Newton isn’t satisfied with a backup role after potentially losing a starter competition, teams will be reluctant to sign him.
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