Patriots: Cam Newton fully making haters forget about Jimmy Garoppolo trade

The arrival of Cam Newton will help Patriots fans forget the disastrous Jimmy Garoppolo trade.

The Patriots’ decision to trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers back in 2017 was met with mixed reviews, and understandably so. At the time, Tom Brady was loud in saying that his NFL career was far from over, but he was never clear in addressing his future with New England.

Eventually, however, the Foxborough faithful’s worst fears were realized when the three-time MVP spurned the Patriots to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency, which left the franchise with uncertainty at the QB position for the first time in over 20 years. Meanwhile,  Garoppolo is fresh off leading the Niners to the Super Bowl in is first full season as the starting gunslinger. Since taking over in San Francisco, the former second-round pick has amassed a 19-5 record, and surely has fans feeling remorseful about the deal.

This is precisely why the signing of Cam Newton, from both a football and cultural perspective, was so important for the Patriots.

Not only did the Patriots  put themselves at the mercy of Brady’s decision to test the open market, but they woefully undersold a franchise quarterback that could’ve been the 14-time Pro Bowler’s heir apparent. As we know, they dealt the second-rounder acquired in the trade to the Lions and jettisoned their second-rounder to the Bears to acquire more draft capital. However, none of those picks have contributed much of anything to the team.

If Newton is anything close to the superstar he was before injuries derailed his 2019 campaign, he will help fans fully forget the disastrous Garoppolo trade. He might not be the long-term answer under center for New England, but a potential deep playoff run should be enough to put the lingering memory of the trade to bed for good. Even still, who’s to say that the 31-year-old stud wouldn’t want to run it back with head coach Bill Belichick? If he wants to win and bolster his resume, he’s certainly in the right place.

The arrival of Newton changes everything for New England, and fans would be wise to use their hatred for the trade as fuel to root for the motivated veteran to take the NFL by storm in his first year as a Patriot.

If the biggest missed throw of Jimmy G’s career in Super Bowl LIV didn’t start to turn your personal tide, nor did the mid-game realization that he’s miles away from Patrick Mahomes’ status, perhaps the Newton acquisition will finally put Pats fans on the right path. We’ll be OK here.