It has not been a great year overall for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. After winning their 6th NFL Superbowl championship in 2018, the franchise had to undergo some serious changes over the last few years. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady moved on and signed a free-agent deal in Tampa Bay, and things spiraled from there.
To recover from the loss of Tom Brady, the Patriots signed Cam Newton to an incentive-laden contract. That deal was for 1 year and worth $1.75 million with just $550,000 guaranteed. Newton is expected to earn a bonus north of $2 million for his playing time. Newton was one of the most successful QB’s available on the NFL free-agent market before New England scooped him up.
Entering Sunday, the Patriots carry a record of 6-9 and will miss the NFL playoffs this year. It is the first time since 2002, while Tom Brady carries the Buccaneers to the playoffs for the first time since they lost the Wild Card round in 2007.
The latest report out of New England is that the turnover will continue into the 2021 season. The Patriots and Cam Newton are not expected to sign a new deal to keep him in New England next year, per reports. That means that Newton will become an NFL free agent as soon as this current season is over, after just one year with the Pats.
Newton passed for 5 TD’s in his 14 starts but also threw 10 interceptions. On the plus side, Cam added 12 rushing touchdowns, totaling 17 on the season. He should be a fairly sought after QB in the NFL for next season, at least as a backup.
