After being inexplicably cut by the team that drafted him way back in 2011, Cam Newton was officially announced as a member of the New England Patriots on Wednesday. This also meant that the nine-year veteran had his jersey number unveiled with the team.
Unsurprisingly, Newton will retain his usage of the No. 1 (per the Patriots official updated roster page), which was his jersey number during his tenure with the Carolina Panthers. For what it's worth, Newton will be the only non-kicker to ever don the No. 1 jersey – not including the Pat Patriot team mascot, of course.
Newton seems slated to be New England's opening-day starter after team talisman Tom Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. The nine-year NFL vet brings a plethora of plaudits to the team, though filling in for Brady’s brilliance will be a tough act for the former Auburn Tiger.
Still, after things went sour in Carolina, it seems Cam Newton needed a new start – just as much as the Patriots needed a new face of the franchise.
After the loss of Brady, the Patriots were staring down either 11-year veteran Brian Hoyer or second-year understudy Jarrett Stidham as the team’s starting quarterback for the 2020 season. Unfortunately, neither of which can compare to the comparatively sparkling resume of Newton, who won an MVP award in 2015 and fell one win shy of a Super Bowl victory in 2016 in what was Peyton Manning’s swan song with the Denver Broncos.
Newton missed all but two games last season with the Panthers due to foot injury, so it will be fascinating to see if he’s back up to his Pro Bowl level in his first campaign under Bill Belichick.
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