“It seemed like Cam Newton was going to take over the mantle from Peyton Manning & Tom Brady and become the face of the league for years and years to come… Quite frankly I’m not sure that’s going to happen now.”
-- Clay Travis.
Cam Newton has been one of the NFL’s most charismatic players since his entrance into the league in 2011, and we could certainly make a case that Newton is one of the most unique freak athletes in football history, but appraising his career has always seemed to come down to envisioning this immaculate future that never quite lives up to its billing.
Newton’s MVP season in 2015 was supposed to be a landmark statement towards cementing his standing among the game’s biggest stars, but that season's Super Bowl dud vs. a vicious Denver defense left a bitter taste in our mouths that never really subsided.
Clay Travis thinks the 29-year-old who is being shut down for the rest of the year due to serious shoulder complications could already be at the crossroads of a career that has seen more wear and tear than most players sustain their entire career.
Newton has been hit more than any other quarterback the last decade by a wide margin, and his hits have been some of the most brutal collisions of the year. Clay wonders how effective a wrecking ball like Newton can become in his 30’s when his athleticism starts to decline rapidly, as we’ve never seen Newton make any improvements with his throwing mechanics or downfield accuracy in the nine years he’s been in the league. Newton's career-high in completion percentage doesn't tell the real story for a Carolina offense that has seen Christian McCaffrey become their most reliable pass catcher in a screen-happy passing game that has been responsible for Newton averaging the lowest yards per-completion total for his career by a wide margin.
At one time ready to take the torch from Manning and Brady as the best quarterback in the NFL, Clay thinks the Panthers may have to start grooming his predecessor.
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