Patriots quarterback Cam Newton is heading back for his second season in New England, and he thinks this one will be better.
Newton had one of the worst seasons of his career, and the Patriots had their worst season in two decades, in 2020. But Newton posted a video on Instagram hyping up his aspirations for this season.
“I refuse to let them, but I refuse to let them slip or sleep on me in 2021 — 2021′s savage,” Newton said.
There are good reasons to think Newton and the Patriots can be better in 2021. Newton will now have a full year in the Patriots’ offense, unlike last year, when he signed late in the offseason and the NFL’s offseason program was significantly curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Patriots are also in great cap shape and should be able to add talent on offense, and they’re getting back some players who opted out in 2020.
The Patriots did not make a significant investment in Newton and there’s no guarantee that he’s even going to be their starter. But it’s certainly possible he could have the kind of season that would vindicate his admonition not to sleep on him.