Patriots: 2021 cap situation suggests NE could afford another season of Cam Newton

The Patriots have a good cap situation for 2021, which means Cam Newton could return.

New England Patriots football is almost back, everyone. Players will report to the team this week to undergo two COVID-19 tests, and will need both to be negative if they want to enter the facility this weekend.

Once the strength and conditioning workouts and equipment-less drills begin, every Patriots fan will be tuned in to the “QB battle” between Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham. However, all signs point to Newton being the starter, assuming he’s healthy and not absolutely dreadful.

And even better? If Newton has a big year and wants to remain in New England, the Patriots’ 2021 cap situation suggest he’d be able to return.

How is this possible with the 2021 salary cap expected to decrease to $175 million? Well, Bill Belichick has only $119 million committed for next year, leaving the team with $59 million in cap space, good for fifth in the NFL.

Though Belichick will face a tough offseason with Joe Thuney, Jason McCourty, James White, Mohamed Sanu, Dont’a Hightower, Lawrence Guy, David Andrews, Red Burkhead and others set to hit free agency, Pats fans should be confident he’ll be able to work his magic and keep the core guys (though this roster is once again prepared for turnover).

As for Newton, assuming he has a good year, he’ll obviously get a raise and make much more than his guaranteed $550K contract that features nearly $7 million in incentives. However, he probably won’t be commanding a whole lot since he’ll be entering his age-32 season and we can assume there won’t be many open QB jobs again.

Still, with $59 million in cap space, the Patriots can make a lot happen, especially if they look to get rid of others to free up more money. Even without that, the Pats could potentially only be losing 1-3 playmakers and if history has taught us anything, at least two of them will be effectively replaced.

Say we’re looking at a worst-case scenario (from a financial standpoint), though, where Newton returns to his MVP form, blows the competition out of the water and takes the Pats on a deep playoff run. Sure, they’ll have to cough up somewhere close to the $20 million-per-year range, but it’s also possible Newton takes a bit less to remain on a contender. After all, he’s made over $120 million in his career and has had countless endorsements.

He even told us himself that it’s not about the money anymore. It’s about respect.

So if the Patriots can show him some respect in the form of a generous raise after a happy/successful year in New England, it’s totally possible Newton is quarterbacking the team for the foreseeable future.