Cam Newton: 'They Ain't Never Seen' This Version of Me
New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton stirred up the hype a bit more recently, posting a video on his Instagram claiming to be a new version of himself.
"You know what makes this sh-t different is they ain't never seen this Cam," Newton said. "... Cause you want to know how I know? Sh-t, I ain't never seen him."
The former MVP went on to explain how he wakes up each day with a type of new-found energy, and how he is embracing the grind of getting back to football shape after waiting months to sign with a team in wake of him being cut by Carolina in March.
"Felt like I was just left to die," Newton continued. "... 'It's over with for him, he ain't the same player.' ... I love it. I adore it. I admire it."
The Patriots have wasted no time investing into the Newton hype, already having his jersey's available in the team's Pro Shop a little over a week after he signed with the team.
Newton, according to the team website, will wear the No. 1 jersey as a Patriot.
Newton's contract with New England is for one year, with a minimum base salary of $1.05 million. He received a $550,000 signing bonus, and can earn up to $6.45 million in incentives and per-game roster bonuses, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
It was reported on Tuesday by La Canfora that Newton's contract also does not include a provision that prevents the Patriots from franchise tagging him in 2021. So not only did the Patriots manage to sign the former MVP at a low cost this offseason, but if Newton plays well next season New England can prevent him from going elsewhere next offseason by tagging him. Doing that would retain Newton at a rate that would likely be cheaper than his rate on the open market.
Signing a modest contract seemed like an odd move for a player that, when healthy, is still one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. But according to Newton, being respected, which is something he apparently found with the Patriots, is more important than money, which he made clear in an Instagram post following the news that he signed with the six-time Super Bowl champions.
