Patriots: Cam Newton deserves contract rework after Jason Peters news

Patriots quarterback Cam Newton deserves to have his contract reworked.

To the surprise of many delusional media members, the Cam Newton era in Foxborough has gotten off to a tremendous start. The 31-year-old superstar was expectedly named the Patriots’ starting quarterback and followed that up with being tagged as a team captain amid his impressive showing at training camp.

The fact that a former NFL executive believes the Patriots could already be contemplating extending Newton just speaks volumes to how much confidence they have in him. For those that need a reminder, he hasn’t even played a snap for the New England yet.

Therefore, it would make sense for the Patriots to try and keep the former MVP as happy as possible, right? Well, restructuring his bargain contract would go a long way in doing just that, and now seems like the perfect time following the news of the Philadelphia Eagles catering to veteran Jason Peters following his move from right guard back to left tackle.

Back in July, the Eagles re-signed Peters to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million in incentives and $3 million guaranteed with the intention of deploying him at right guard after projected starter Brandon Brooks suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.

However, the nine-time Pro Bowler shifted back to his familiar left tackle position after starter Andre Dillard went down with a season-ending biceps injury. Peters was holding out hope that a pay raise would reflect his versatility, and the Eagles ultimately proved he was deserving of one.

With all of the skepticism surrounding Newton upon his arrival for training camp — he was coming off foot and shoulder surgeries and there were a ton of questions about his overall fit in NE –it’s understandable why the Patriots gave him just a $1.05 million base salary. His cap hit for the season stands at a minimal $550,000. As it stands, that’s the epitome of disrespectful for a gunslinger with Newton’s resume, despite the fact that he can earn a maximum of $7.5 million with incentives.

We get the Auburn product has yet to play a game for New England, but his performance and professionalism over the last two months prove he deserves to have his contract reworked. It’s not like the Patriots don’t have the money to make such a move, either. Per Spotrac, they have the most salary cap space ($35.757 million) in the NFL to start the campaign, earning an overflow of cash thanks to the Antonio Brown and Aaron Hernandez grievances that remains unused, on Jadeveon Clowney, Leonard Fournette, or anyone else.

Nobody’s asking for Newton to receive a massive raise, but anything more than the veteran league minimum would undoubtedly benefit both parties in the long run. The Pats will still have room for in-season adjustments and payroll flexibility. It’s time to make your starter feel loved, after he earned it all summer long.