Former quarterback Cam Newton is no stranger to accolades.
From his breakout rookie year in 2011 to his last full season with the Carolina Panthers in 2018, Newton amassed an MVP award, three Pro Bowl selections, and an Offensive Rookie of the Year trophy.
Though his career included an impressive 2015 season – one where he led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl appearance – Newton never captured a Super Bowl title.
As the NFL season gears up for the Super Bowl, ESPN’s First Take posed a question that many fans have wondered: Would Newton trade his MVP award for a Super Bowl ring???
To the shock of the show’s panel, Newton emphatically said NO…
“I ask you this question, just to pose this thought: What’s more important, impact or championships? You look at a guy like Allen Iverson … everybody’s not going to be Michael Jordan, everybody’s not going to be Patrick Mahomes. Everybody’s not going to be the individuals who have the luxury of saying, ‘I not only dominated this sport, but I also have championships to back it up.’
“Let me remind you, Brad Johnson won a Super Bowl. Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl. Respectfully, Nick Foles won a Super Bowl. So, yes, when you look at those guys, and you say, ‘What’s more important: Would you have preferred to won a Super Bowl?’ I think that’s the humble approach, but if we’re being honest, the impact of you holding yourself accountable to say that everybody has a responsibility to do. And you can say, as an MVP-award winner or All-American, you’ve held your end of the bargain down.
“And that’s what it really comes down to for me. I know it’s not the popular pick. I’m not trying to be popularized. My take is I’m going to take individual success because I did my job. Football is not about one guy doing to do 11 jobs. It’s 11 guys doing one job. If everybody does their job best, in the famous job of coach Belichick: ‘Just do your job.”
Newton’s statement was extremely controversial, as most would strongly argue that no matter how impactful an individual is, the ultimate goal for an NFL player is to win a Super Bowl.
While Newton did guide the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl back in the 2015 season, the lasting image of that game is him refusing to dive on a fumble.
From that shocking moment on, the “selfish” label only intensified around Newton.
Needless to say, his admission on First Take today confirmed what many people have always suspected about him – and social media had a whole lot to say about it…
“That’s why no one will remember Cam Newton, isn’t it about winning championships.”
“That’s why Cam will always go down as one of the most overrated quarterbacks in NFL history … Cam was never elite … Cam Newton is just mad that he never won a Super Bowl. He wasn’t good enough to get it done.”
“He’s a me guy. Why he was never a winner.”
“Cam’s wrong here in this clip and this goes against everything football is about.. He even alluded to it in his answer … You can be impactful to the history of the sport and be a champion. That’s the goal not to just win individual awards.”
“Makes sense..”
“Loser.”
“Trent Dilfer > Cam Newton.”
“Lol he was expecting a different answer.”
What are your thoughts on Newton’s surprising admission?
There are undoubtedly other players who feel the same way, but very few – if any – would actually admit it publicly.
Do you want your quarterback to value MVP’s or Super Bowls more???
