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Cam Newton won the Heisman Trophy, a national championship, an NFL MVP, an NFC Championship. Bill Belichick has what Newton’s missing, holding more Super Bowl rings than any person on the planet. But Kyle Love — Newton’s former teammate in Carolina, who also played under Belichick in New England — doesn’t believe the quarterback can …
Cam Newton won the Heisman Trophy, a national championship, an NFL MVP, an NFC Championship.
Bill Belichick has what Newton’s missing, holding more Super Bowl rings than any person on the planet. But Kyle Love — Newton’s former teammate in Carolina, who also played under Belichick in New England — doesn’t believe the quarterback can put the Patriots back on top under the infamously critical coach.
“This is just my opinion, but I don’t feel like Cam can take the pressure of coaches taking down about his play,” Love, a free agent nose tackle, told the Boston Herald. “If he had a bad game in Carolina, the coaching staff wouldn’t say much to him because they may have felt he could be a little frail about it or maybe pout. They never really corrected to the point Bill used to correct Tom [Brady].
“Bill’s going to be Bill and he’s going to let Cam know how he feels no matter what. Everybody is treated equal, and I actually love that about Bill because that let the whole team know you’re going to be held accountable.”
The 31-year-old quarterback, who battled injuries the past two seasons, languished in free agency for months before the Patriots signed him to an incentive-laden contract. Newton had no other options if he wanted to have a chance at a starting job, but Love still isn’t sure he made the right decision to join the Patriots.
“New England is not for everybody,” Love said. “Every player does not fit well there physically or mentally….Being a professional in New England is different from being a professional in Carolina. It’s a whole different ballgame. Bill wants things run a certain way, wants things practiced a certain way and said a certain way in the classroom and the media.
“My fear is, can Cam fit in that box? Because I want Cam to win. I want Cam to be successful. I want to see him win games, and even a championship, because I love that dude. I just hope he can do that within the guidelines of what Bill wants.”
Brady left the Patriots this offseason for a two-year, $50 million deal with the Buccaneers and notorious player-friendly coach Bruce Arians. In two decades together, Brady and Belichick built the greatest dynasty in league history. But the road to six Super Bowl titles featured countless moments in which arguably the greatest quarterback ever was chewed out in front of teammates.
“I understand that comes with him,” Brady said in 2017. “All the times he does that to me, they’re very deserved. He’s trying to get me to reach a high level as a player. I don’t take it personal. You always want to prove your coach wrong when he criticizes you, so I think that’s a good motivator to go back out on the field and try and get to a higher level.”