New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick rarely gives out praise, but recently made an exception in case of team’s new quarterback Cam Newton. And that’s before he even saw him suit up for Pats in a regular-season game.
During his recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Belichick spoke highly of Newton and said that he was impressed with how 2015’s NFL MVP handled learning a new offense.
“Being with him every day, he’s an extremely hard-working player. First guy in, last one out type of guy,” said Belichick. “He’s really studied hard and has spent a lot of extra time trying to learn our offense, our communication, our calls, nomenclature. I’ve been very impressed with that. He’s done a very good job of picking it up. He’s a very skilled athlete.”
While all of this is probably true, it is still surprising to see Belichick hand out compliments to his players, especially those who just arrived. Usually, not a man of many words, there is a possibility that he’s taking a different approach with Newton in order to make him feel welcomed and have him buy into the “Patriots Way.”
Cam Newton, who spent the previous nine years with the Carolina Panthers, signed a one-year minimum deal with New England in the offseason. Newton is expected to be the Pats’ starting QB in 2020, facing competition from inexperienced Jarrett Stidham and veteran Brian Hoyer.
