NFL Rumors: Cam Newton Future Not Looking Good, Former MVP Aware Pats Stint Possibly Ending

KEY POINTS

Cam Newton will the rest of the games to end the NFL season on a high note
Newton is aware that his future with the Patriots is sketchy
The Patriots will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008

From the start of the 2019-20 NFL season, the New England Patriots were hardly given a chance to make the playoffs. A flicker of hope came when they took in former NFL MVP Cam Newton, but the partnership hardly paid dividends.

For the first time since 2008, the Pats will miss the NFL playoffs. Unless New England unravels a surprising twist, the future of Newton with the club is not looking good. Regardless, the 31-year-old will make the most out of the rest of the season for as long as Bill Belichick uses him.

That appears to be the case with reports that Newton will start against the Buffalo Bills in Week 16. It will be the three-time Pro Bowler’s 14th start of the season, but all eyes will be on how he performs from here, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported.

Newton agreed to a one-year, incentive-laden minimum deal in July with no other NFL team expressing interest in the 2015 NFL MVP. It was initially seen as a good move, with the Pats seemingly lost after Tom Brady opted to move to Tampa Bay.

#Patriots QB Cam Newton is expected to start against the #Bills on Monday Night Football, per source. Despite some questions about Jarrett Stidham this week, Newton is slated to start barring a late change.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 26, 2020

The Pats seemed to have benefited from it in the early goings of the season. They came out with a Week 1 victory over the Miami Dolphins, 21-11, and then fared well against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 before eventually losing, 30-35.

Since then, things just crumbled for the Pats. Newton tested positive for COVID-19 and things were never the same.

Given his performance, Newton admitted that his future with the Patriots is uncertain. Hence, all he can do right now is try to play well and hope that it will be enough to secure another stint next NFL season. That could still be with New England, although his chances are not looking that good.

“I think the biggest thing is I’m just trying to maximize on the things that I know I have to prove. And that’s starting with Monday,” Newton said to the Boston Herald.

Regardless of how his current NFL season goes, Newton fulfilled one of his goals – which is to finish the year healthy. Most know that the 2011 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year has struggled with injuries over the past years. He feels that he still has plenty to give to the sport, although his future may no longer be in his hands.