Cam Newton has been released from the New England Patriots, but he says it’s all good.
via People:
On Tuesday, the quarterback, 32, shared a message to his fans on his Instagram Story. “I really appreciate all the love and support during this time but I must say… Please don’t feel sorry for me!” Newton wrote, along with the hashtag #ImGood.
Newton, now a free agent, had signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in March.
With Newton’s release, the Patriots named 22-year-old rookie Mac Jones as the starting quarterback. In April, Jones was drafted 15th overall in the first round.
The Boston Globe was the first to report the news.
Hours before Newton’s release was made public, coach Bill Belichick held a press conference and told reporters that he thought Newton’s performance in training camp was “definitely moving in the right direction” in comparison to last season.
Prior to Tuesday’s news, Newton, the starting quarterback during training camp and the returning captain, missed three days of practice last week due to COVID protocols, according to the Globe.
Newton, a former league MVP, first joined the Patriots in June 2020 to replace Tom Brady, who left the team after 20 seasons to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (Brady and the Bucs went on to win Super Bowl LV.)
Going forward in the 2021 season, Jones will be leading the Pats.
“I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities to play and I can improve on everything I want to improve on. … There’s a lot of work to do, but I think I’ve made progress,” the rookie, a national champion at Alabama, said on Sunday after the Patriots defeated the New York Giants.
See his message below.
