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Cam Newton has spent close to a decade catching heat for the business decision he seemingly made after fumbling the ball in the Super Bowl, and he’s finally admitted he probably should’ve handled things differently.
The Carolina Panthers earned the right to draft Cam Newton with the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft after going a dismal 2-14 in the season preceding it, and the man who subsequently won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors wasted no time helping the franchise turn things around.
It took a couple of years for the Panthers to fully rebound, but the 2013 campaign marked the first of three consecutive seasons where they were able to punch their ticket to the playoffs—a run that ended with the team earning the right to face off against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
Carolina had gone 15-1 over the course of the regular season and headed into The Big Game as 4.5-point favorites. However, the Broncos were ultimately able to pull off the upset with the 24-10 victory.
The Denver defense was indisputably the star of the show, as Newton was under heavy pressure during a contest where he was sacked seven times, threw an interception, and fumbled the ball twice.
Von Miller was responsible for both of those strips, including the one that led to the Broncos taking a 10-0 lead in the first quarter after the fumble was returned for a touchdown.
There’s nothing Newton could’ve done to recover the ball in that scenario, but the same can’t be said for the turnover that essentially sealed the game after he coughed up the pigskin toward the start of what could’ve been a go-head drive late in the fourth quarter.
The QB initially said he didn’t attempt to dive for the ball because he was afraid of being injured, which wasn’t really the best excuse given the pivotal nature of the play.
However, during the most recent installment of his 4th & 1 show, he acknowledged he made a mistake.
"That was [my] time to seize the moment…and I didn't. Looking back at it, I'll never have that opportunity again."@CameronNewton opens up about the infamous Super Bowl fumble pic.twitter.com/4RzHtnlBVJ
— 4thand1show (@4thand1show) February 14, 2024
Here’s what he had to say:
“It ain’t no excuse for me not jumping on the fumble. I should’ve jumped. I’m not even going to give you something…. I should’ve jumped on the fumble. Straight up.
The competitor in me, if that happens again—duh, you know what I’m saying? This is the Super Bowl. All effort goes to Super Bowl Energy. That wasn’t Super Bowl Energy, and I think that is what hurts the most.
You don’t get an opportunity to go back. It’s not promised for you to go back. The next year, that’s when the shoulder injury happened, and the year following that, that’s when the foot injury happened.
You don’t necessarily know when it’s going to be your time. That was your time to seize the moment…and I didn’t. So, looking back at it, you’ll never have an opportunity again.”
That admission probably won’t do much to assuage Panthers fans who haven’t had a ton to cheer for since then, but at least he was able to admit he screwed up.