Patriots: Cam Newton’s ex-teammate reveals big problem he’ll have in NE

Could Cam Newton struggle to adjust to the Patriots culture? His ex-teammate sees a big problem coming.

As clear as it is that Cam Newton is motivated to silence his doubters, what isn’t getting discussed enough is how (potentially) difficult it will be for him to adjust to the New England Patriots and their way of life. That isn’t an indictment against the 31-year-old quarterback. It’s more of the product of the first nine years of his career.

And no, we’re not talking about his clothing or swagger.

Since entering the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick back in 2011, Newton has only played for one head coach in Ron Rivera, who was actually on the sideline for each of the 124 starts he made for the Panthers. We’re all aware of the reports that Carolina went out of its way to coddle the former MVP and abstained from criticizing him after underwhelming performances, right?

Well, according to Newton’s former teammate — defensive tackle Kyle Love, who played with the Panthers from 2014-2019 — this could potentially result in his transition to the Patriots’ objectively cutthroat structure becoming a major stumbling block.

“This is just my opinion, but I don’t feel like Cam can take the pressure of coaches talking down about his play,” Love 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.”

It’s worth noting that Love played for the Patriots for three years from 2010 to 2012, so his comments should absolutely be taken seriously. The 33-year-old DT obviously isn’t implying that Newton will fail in New England. He’s more or less hoping that his former teammate is aware of the drastic environmental change that awaits him.

If the three-time Pro Bowler has a bad game, he had better be ready for a tongue-lashing from the Patriots coaching staff. In New England, all players are held accountable, regardless of whether they are a superstar gunslinger who’s been to a Super Bowl, or a reserve on special teams barely clinging to a roster spot.

Here’s to hoping that Newton is aware of this and makes all of these alarmists eat crow.