Former NFL MVP Cam Newton gives take on why Steelers’ Justin Fields was available for trade
Cam Newton may only be in his mid-30s and played as recently as two seasons ago, but things have changed immensely since he came into the league in 2011. No position has seen that change more than quarterbacks. And Newton knows it, citing what could be a growing problem in the NFL when analyzing the […]
Cam Newton may only be in his mid-30s and played as recently as two seasons ago, but things have changed immensely since he came into the league in 2011.
No position has seen that change more than quarterbacks.
And Newton knows it, citing what could be a growing problem in the NFL when analyzing the offseasons for Kenny Pickett and Justin Fields:
No More Development
“Justin Fields is finding out firsthand that this is a business, and unfortunately (it) hasn’t been in his favor,” Newton said on his podcast 4th & 1. “And it wasn’t up to him to be traded. It was a collision course, it was about to be a train wreck. Hell, his experience there was a train wreck…
"…Not just the Chicago Bears, but a lot of organizations are feeling the heat. And you really only got two to potentially three years to show you’re good, because the NFL has changed. We’re not allowing players to develop anymore. We’re trying to sell jerseys, we’re trying to win football games, and we’re trying to win a Super Bowl … yesterday,” Newton said. “So, I don’t give a damn about developing. You got to already come in able to compartmentalize personal versus professional. “Professional manage a locker room where you are now thrust into a CEO role where you have to manage the owner, off the field, general manager, head coach, position coach and players."
Newton makes a great point. Even with a new GM and evidence that Pittsburgh wasn't operating the way they had traditionally, seeing the team trade Kenny Pickett less than two years into his career and without a full season under his belt shows the mindset of the team.
Outside of what the Packers have done with Jordan Love, the days of sitting and learning are gone. First-round QBs are now largely expected to start from day one, if not at some point in their rookie season at the latest.
Some may argue that examples like C.J. Stroud last year prove that "if you got it, you got it" but that was quite literally the best rookie season a QB has ever had, meaning Stroud is more of the exception than the rule.
And this year's class will likely be another example of that. With what's increasingly looking like four QBs that will go in the top 10, the odds that all of them will perform the way the team that chooses them wants, are very low.
The truth is, most of the QBs are more likely to end up like Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones and Kenny Pickett than C.J. Stroud or Jordan Love.
How teams balance the pressure of winning now and not keeping themselves in a spin cycle of constantly searching for the answer at QB is going to be interesting to watch, with Pittsburgh atop the list.
