Cam Newton Says Release Was Due To Being Viewed As 'Distraction' To Jones

Free agent quarterback Cam Newton said he "absolutely" would have accepted a backup role behind starter Mac Jones on the New England Patriots roster, but believes his presence would've made things "uncomfortable" for the rookie.

Newton appeared alongside his father, Cecil, in a YouTube video entitled 'My Side Of The Story' as part of his Funky Friday series at his high school alma mater in Atlanta, providing his first comments since being released by the Patriots on August 31.

The former NFL MVP admits he was "shocked" by the team's decision, but believes the team had no choice but to get rid of him in order to provide an easy transition to the Mac Jones era.

"Let me be honest with you. If they would have asked me, 'Cam, we're going to give the team to Mac, you're going to be second string; we expect you to be everything and some to guide him throughout this tenure,' I would have said, 'Absolutely,'" Newton said. "But listen, the truth of the matter is this: He would have been uncomfortable."

Newton, 32, said he enjoyed working with Jones during the Patriots' offseason and preseason competition, while adding, "Mac Jones didn't beat me out. But I would have been a distraction. If they would have gave him the starting role, they knew the perception that it would have had if the success didn't come."

Newton, who reiterated in the video that he isn't retiring, said arrived at Gillette Stadium at around 8:00 a.m. on August 31 and was notified that head coach Bill Belichick wanted to see him, but the coach was in a different office that he'd typically be in.

"[Patriots senior football adviser] Matt Patricia was there, Bill was there, and we greeted each other and just started talking," Newton said. "At that time they told me they were going to give the reins to Mac. I was like, 'Cool.' It didn't dawn on me, 'Y'all releasing me?' I was confused. We all were shocked. It was all uncomfortable for everybody.

"... The reason why they released me is because, indirectly, I was going to be a distraction, without being a starter. Just my aura. That's my gift and my curse. When you bring Cam Newton into your facility [and] your franchise, people are interested by mere fact of 'Who is he? Why does he wear his hair? Why does he talk? Why does he act? Why does he perform?' All these questions."

Newton acknowledged that he realized in hindsight upon his release that it seemed the team was favoring Jones as the team's starting quarterback, despite Belichick reiterating that the job was Newton's to lose publicly.

"That time with me finding out [about the release] and kind of seeing things different, when I look back at it, I was probably getting two reps to his 10 reps. And that's why it was starting to make sense," Newton said. "Even though I was starting, that doesn't necessarily mean nothing.

"I think that's where they did a good job with kind of disguising it: 'Cam took first-team reps today.' But [media members] didn't know the practice structure. The first-team goes down, the second team goes back, and then the first team comes back, too. And that's when [Jones] was getting his first-team reps."

Newton also said he didn't believe his vaccination status played a factor in the team's decision.

"This had nothing to do with no vaccination. They gave me clearance to go. I'm owed a second opinion. This was the last time I felt that I was going to have an opportunity to get a second opinion," Newton said. "Not to say the personnel with the Patriots wasn't coherent to telling me everything I needed to know, but having four eyes on it is better than having two eyes on it, in my opinion. It wasn't that I was having any issues or pain. I just wanted to do a checkup with the person who, in essence, diagnosed me with the Lisfranc. I felt obligated to kind of check back in with a six-month review.

"I crossed all the lines, I checked all the boxes, I dotted all my 'I's,' and then to find out that I had to sit out, that's when I kind of felt like bamboozled because 'Y'all told me to go.' It wasn't like, 'Cam, you know if you go, you're taking it on your risk.'"

The Patriots finished the 2020 season with a 7-9 overall record, having previously won the AFC East during 11 consecutive seasons.

Jones led Alabama to a College Football National Championship and was third in the Heisman voting behind teammate DeVonta Smith and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence during his lone season as Alabama's full-time starting quarterback.

Jones threw for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and four interceptions on 311 of 402 passing -- while also recording one rushing touchdown -- while leading the Crimson Tide to a 13-0 record in 2020.

Jones also made four starts in the absence of Tua Tagovailoa following a season-ending injury in 2019.