New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton hasn't shied away from the fact that he was wronged this offseason. After the Carolina Panthers released their former No. 1 overall pick, he spent nearly three months on the open market before Bill Belichick and Co. came calling. It turned out to be a great addition, as the Patriots have started 2-1 and appeared to have found new life after Tom Brady.
During a Monday morning appearance on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show, Newton again spoke about why this season is so important to him. He's out to show the world that he's still one of the premier signal-callers in the league, and is treating this season as the most important business trip of his life. In fact, he hasn't even brought his kids or family to the Boston area yet!
"I am a person who takes everything to heart, I mean anything," Newton said, via Radio.com. "The whole decision, and not to keep beating a dead horse, this is a business trip for me. The fact that I don't have none of my children here in Boston with me and the fact that I haven't been able to see them on a regularity, that's angry in itself for me. I wake up every morning missing the hell out of my children, and knowing that if I don't do what I am supposed to do, then this could be good riddance for me. That is as serious as I am making it and that's as serious it is.
"Not to mention, I have so much to prove. I could care less about other critics, but more or less I have so much to prove to myself. I have seen a lot of great football being played. I have seen a lot of great football being played over the time I was injured and whatnot. You have to question yourself and question the man that you are and say, 'Can you still play at a high level?' There's an expectation that I have for myself and I am just trying to meet it every single day of my life."
In three games for the Patriots, Newton has completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 714 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He's made a considerable impact on the ground, however, as he has rushed 35 times for 149 yards and four touchdowns. The veteran quarterback inked a minimum one-year deal with the club this past summer that has a base salary of just $1.05 million. Newton does have $3.75 million in playing-time incentives, and if New England is able to win the Super Bowl that number will jump to $7.5 million. Even if he hits that max number, the Patriots are getting the bargain of all bargains under center.
Newton has already made it clear that he's not thinking about the money he's making or not making this season, and isn't even necessarily worried about his future in New England. He's just focused on what he can accomplish for the Patriots in 2020, and that plan appears to be working for him early on.
