Patriots sign ’15 MVP Newton to one-year contract
BOSTON — The New England Patriots have reached an agreement with freeagent quarterback Cam Newton, bringing in the 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player to help the team move on from three-time MVP Tom Brady, a person with knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press.
The one-year deal is worth up to $7.5 million with incentives, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it publicly. A Patriots spokesman said the team had nothing to announce Sunday night.
The signing was first reported by ESPN.
The Patriots had been heading to training camp with 2019 fourth-round draft choice Jarrett Stidham as the heir apparent to Brady. Stidham completed two passes for 14 yards with one interception in three games last season.
The only other experienced quarterback on the defending AFC East champions’ roster was 34-yearold Brian Hoyer, who has started 38 games in an 11year career with seven NFL teams, including the Texans and the Patriots twice.
Newton, a three-time Pro Bowl pick, remains the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. He had one year remaining on a fiveyear, $103.8 million contract, but the Panthers saved $19.1 million under the salary cap by releasing him March 24.
The 31-year-old Newton was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft after leading Auburn to a national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy. He helped the Panthers to the playoffs four times, including the Super Bowl in 2015.
The Panthers finished 15-1 that season, and Newton won league MVP honors after throwing for 3,837 and 35 touchdowns and rushing for 636 yards and 10 TDs. He was criticized after Carolina’s 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl for not jumping on a loose ball late in the game and cutting his news conference short.
In nine seasons, he has completed 2,371 passes for 29,041 yards and 182 touchdowns with 108 interceptions. He has also run for 4,806 yards and 58 scores.
In other Patriots news, the team was fined $1.1 million by the NFL for inappropriately filming the Cincinnati
Bengals’ sideline during a game between the Bengals and Browns last season.
On Sunday, the league also took away a third-round 2021 draft pick. The team’s production crew will not be allowed to shoot games in the 2020 season.
The team said at the time a three-person crew producing a web series “inappropriately filmed the field from the press box.”
The filming took place “without specific knowledge of league rules,” the statement said.