Cam Newton, the former quarterback for the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers, has been absent from the NFL for a considerable period and seems determined to remain relevant. At 34 years old, he hasn’t seen action on the field for quite some time, while even older quarterbacks like Joe Flacco have been recruited by teams like the Cleveland Browns (and have performed well). It’s likely that Cam feels overlooked, especially when considering that quarterbacks much older than him continue to receive playing opportunities.
In recent headlines, Cam targeted notable quarterbacks such as Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy, and Tua Tagovailoa. In a Yahoo Sports article, Cam expressed his views, stating, “But Brock [Purdy], they’re [49ers] not winning because of him. He’s managing the game. And if we were to put that in its own right as ‘game managers,’ Brock Purdy, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jared Goff. And, really, Dak Prescott. These are game managers; they are not difference makers …” Given Cam’s past achievements, notably an MVP year and being arguably the best rushing quarterback in NFL history, these comments stirred controversy. Many in the NFL fanbase interpreted them as the sentiments of a disgruntled former player yearning for another chance.
Attempting to address the fallout, Cam returned to his podcast to clarify his statements. He invited former New England Patriots teammate Julian Edelman to discuss the distinction between a “game manager” and a “game changer.” Cam sought to emphasize that being a game manager is not inherently negative but simply describes a quarterback’s playing style.
