Cam Newton doesn’t care about his bare-bones guarantees. The money –- or in the case of his one-year, prove-it contract with the Patriots, the lack thereof — doesn’t matter to him.
“It’s not a lot of things money cannot buy. But amongst the top of that list of things, you would find RESPECT as one of those!!” he wrote in an Instagram post. “This is not about money for me, it’s about respect.”
The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft and three-time Pro Bowl selection, Newton was on the open market for a long time after the Panthers cut him in late March. He was without a team until the Patriots signed him Sunday to a one-year deal that reportedly included just $550,000 in guaranteed money. For a player with his experience, his base salary of $1.05 million is the minimum. He can earn an extra $6.45 million by hitting on all of the incentives in his contract. Newton is coming off two injury-plagued seasons that led to Carolina parting ways with him.
Some players, like 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, have been critical of how little money Newton received.
“How many former League MVPs have had to sign for the min? (Asking for a friend.) just ridiculous,” Sherman tweeted. “A transcendent talent and less talented QBs are getting 15/16m a year. Disgusting.”
But Newton doesn’t seem to mind.