- Cam Newton sat down to share his thoughts after being released by the Patriots
- The quarterback said his “aura” played a key role and denied rumors Mac Jones had to teach him the playbook
- Read more NFL news here
Earlier this week, unemployed fashion influencer Cam Newton advised NFL fans to stay tuned for some news he was planning to drop on what he dubbed “FÜŃK¥ FRĮDÂ¥” (which translates to “Funky Friday” for anyone who isn’t fluent in Cam Newton Instagramese).
Well, the big day has finally arrived, and Newton celebrated the occasion by dropping an interview conducted by his father that he released in the hopes of “clearing the air” in the wake of his release from the New England Patriots.
When the quarterback was cut to usher in the start of the Mac Jones Era in Foxborough, people were more than happy to float theories about the real reason he failed to make the final roster—including plenty of speculation his decision to not get vaccinated played a role.
However, based on what Newton had to say, his “aura” was really the biggest factor in the team’s decision to cut ties with the veteran quarterback after deciding to go all-in on the rookie, implying he would’ve been an unnecessary distraction if he’d stayed on as a backup to Jones.
Cam Newton: “The reason they released me is because indirectly I was going to be a distraction without being the starter. Just my aura.”
“That’s my gift and my curse. When you bring a Cam Newton to your facility, your franchise, people are interested.” pic.twitter.com/096OlIKxZd
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 10, 2021
Newton also fired back at Rob Ninkovich while vehemently denying the report Jones had to help him learn the Patriots playbook. He admitted the team had to “dumb it down” for him due to his underwhelming performance last year, and while it’s obvious he has no ill will toward his successor, he took issue with the suggestion there was anything he could really learn from the rookie QB.
Cam takes issue with @ninko50 saying Mac Jones was teaching him the playbook.
Cam did add: “I’ve never been in a system that required me to know the MIKE. Half of the NFL, I’d say 30 of 32 teams don’t run this philosophy. It’s in the center’s call because he runs the protection” pic.twitter.com/YlB7yFRPYO
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 10, 2021
He also addressed the aforementioned vaccine issue and the testing snafu that resulted in him being forced to sit out from training camp for five days, saying he made sure to get approval from the team’s doctors before getting the screening only to discover he’d been misled.
Cam Newton said he “felt bamboozled” by the #Patriots
Said the team-approved his doctor visit that ended up causing him to miss 5 days of practice away from the team. pic.twitter.com/MH83UVDCgS
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 10, 2021
It’s still unclear what the future holds for Cam Newton, but it’s very, very obvious we haven’t seen the last of him.