Former Patriots QB Cam Newton says he wouldn’t trade his MVP award for a Super Bowl title
"I know that's not the popular pick, I'm not trying to be popularized," Newton said.
Cam Newton played in Super Bowl 50, but his Panthers squad was soundly beaten by the Denver Broncos.
But, the former No. 1 overall pick did win league MVP that year after he threw for 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns against 10 interceptions while leading Carolina to a 15-1 regular-season record.
During a recent appearance on ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith asked Newton a hypothetical question about whether he would give up his MVP trophy if it meant he could have a Super Bowl trophy instead.
Newton said he would not take the hypothetical deal.
“What’s more important? Impact or championships?” Newton asked Smith.
“You look at a guy like Allen Iverson,” he added. “Everybody’s not going to be Michael Jordan. Everybody’s not going to be Patrick Mahomes. Everybody’s not going to be these individuals who have the luxury of saying ‘hey, I not only dominated this sport buy I also have championships to back it.”
Newton listed several Super Bowl champion quarterbacks who did not win MVP awards and were not considered dominant during their heyday.
“Let me remind you Brad Johnson won a Super Bowl. Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl. Respectfully, Nick Foles won a Super Bowl. So, yes, when you look at those guys and you say ‘what’s more important’, ‘would you have preferred to win a Super Bowl?’
“I think that’s the humble approach but if we’re being honest, the impact of you holding yourself accountable to say everybody has a responsibility to do. You can say as an MVP award winner or as an All-American you’ve held your end of the bargain down, and that’s what it really comes down to for me.
“I know that’s not the popular pick, I’m not trying to be popularized,” Newton continued. “My take is I’m taking individual success because I did my job. Football is not about one guy trying to do 11 jobs. It’s 11 guys doing one job and if everyone does their job best, in the famous words of our coach Belichick, just do your job.”
Although he does not have a Super Bowl ring, Newton does hold a rare distinction.
He is one of eight players to win both the Heisman Trophy and the NFL MVP award. The others are: Lamar Jackson, Earl Campbell, Barry Sanders, Marcus Allen, O.J. Simpson, Paul Hornung, and Frank Sinkwich.
Newton also won an NCAA football national championship at Auburn.
The Patriots did not make the playoffs during Newton’s only season with the franchise in 2020. New England finished 7-9 that season, and Newton returned to the Panthers the following season in 2021 for eight more games before his retirement.
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