Shannon Sharpe isn’t buying that the Patriots cut Cam Newton because the veteran quarterback reportedly struggled with the playbook.
The Hall of Fame tight end says it was about personality.
On a recent edition of FS1’s “Undisputed,” Sharpe disputed Rob Ninkovich’s report that Mac Jones was helping Newton learn the playbook. “I think this is unnecessarily piling on,” Sharpe said (audio courtesy of The Greg Hill Show). “Cam has been in the league for a decade.”
The Patriots released Newton last week, despite starting him in all three preseason games. On the GHS Tuesday, Bill Belichick thanked Newton for his hard work over the last year-plus.
But Sharpe says he thinks Belichick never appreciated Newton’s charismatic personality. “I just think these guys have an understanding of how Patriots players should conduct themselves, and anybody who does not conduct themselves in that way is going to run afoul with those guys,” he said. “They’ve toed the line. They’ve never had anybody with Cam’s personality.”
That statement is patently false. Belichick has brought in several high-profile players with big personalities over the years (Chad Johnson and Aqib Talib come to mind), and showered Newton with praise last season. Belichick stuck with the struggling passer last December, even as he threw just one touchdown pass in five weeks.
Still, Sharpe says Newton never fit into New England, bringing up how Rob Gronkowski was embraced for his exaggerated antics.
“Even Gronk — he had a good old time,” Newton said. “He was chugging beers in the parade and all that stuff. But for whatever reason, Cam is an outsider, and they look down on outsiders.”
“They” also look down on lousy quarterbacks. Sharpe left that part out.
