Patriots: N’Keal Harry defends Tom Brady against recent criticism
By Adam Weinrib
New England Patriots WR N’Keal Harry doesn’t think Cam Newton helping him succeed has anything to do with Tom Brady.
Patriots wideout N’Keal Harry didn’t get the fairest shake upon entering the league in 2019.
As a rookie, he was viewed as the midseason upgrade 42-year-old Tom Brady needed to deliver one final title to New England, imbued with the excessive expectations that come with being a first-round wideout in Bill Belichick’s organization.
Harry, with 100 caveats, disappointed in 2019, never catching more than three balls in any game in the back half of the season, combining with Mohamed Sanu to form a vaunted duo that failed to click with Brady on the field. The struggle was even more glaring when compared with the extreme success of wideouts like DK Metcalf and Terry McLaurin, both of whom could’ve been drafted in Harry’s place.
Luckily, the kid is beginning to shake off the premature “bust” label in 2020 with Cam Newton under center, showing unique poise in a 72-yard effort in Seattle this weekend, headlined by a ridiculous helmet-to-helmet hit he weathered and held on for. But he’s also humble, and doesn’t want a single distraction involved in his process.
Hence, Harry went to bat for Tom Brady in his media availability this week, making sure the world knew that Newton’s enthusiasm shouldn’t overshadow everything the GOAT did, too.
N'Keal Harry is brushing aside controversy that Cam Newton is doing a better job mentoring than Tom Brady
— Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis) September 22, 2020
"I think when it comes to wanting me to succeed -- I think Tom wanted me to succeed just as much. ... I think, just as a rookie, it was hard for me to grasp the offense." pic.twitter.com/z0aJUkQbeN
Harry is definitely being a good soldier in this instance, putting the blame on his own shoulders. And since we’ll never be able to time travel back to the Patriots’ locker room in 2019, we’ll need to take his word for it.
The learning curve in this league is steep, and it certainly seems like Harry has gained the trust of Newton, as well as matured into his own body and skill set at a much greater rate.
No matter what Brady did for him in a shortened ’19 season, all of these factors help a lot in shortening the adjustment period.
N'Keal Harry has been asked some questions about Tom Brady/Cam Newton: "I think Tom wanted me to succeed just as much."
— Ryan Hannable (@RyanHannable) September 22, 2020
Keeps saying it's hard to compare the years because he's so far ahead now than he was last season following being on IR half the year.
And while Harry was just a cameo in Brady’s legacy, arriving at the tail end, he means much more to the Patriots organization moving forward. 2020 will be huge for him in establishing his role in this new administration, and that story very much remains unwritten.
