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When the Patriots unexpectedly hired quarterback Cam Newton in late June, he received a $ 7.5 million compensation package. If he had reached that level, the Patriots would have won the Super Bowl.
The Patriots are not making the playoffs, and that has taken a large part of Newton’s potential earnings in 2020.
Assuming he dresses up for the next two games and maintains his total percentage of playing time north of 80 percent (both are likely to happen), Newton will end the year with $ 3.706 million.
This amount reflects the sum of Newton’s base salary of $ 1.05 million, a $ 43,750 line-up bonus for 15 games (he lost one game while on the COVID-19 reserve) and a play time incentive of $ 2 million, based on landing between 80 and 90 percent of the team’s total offensive crackles.
It currently stands at 86.8 percent (778 out of 896). With New England’s average offensive snaps of 64 per game this year, another 128 of 128 in the last two games will not be enough to bring Newton to 90%, which would increase the incentive to $ 2.25 million. If Newton, for some reason, does not play the final two games, he will likely drop below 80%. This would reduce the incentive to $ 1.75 million.
The real issue is the Newton compensation package for 2021. The one-year contract does not prevent the Patriots from using the franchise brand in Newton, something that the Patriots certainly will not do. And so Newton will have a chance to get to the open market and see if any other team will offer him more than what the Patriots can offer.
The Patriots know this exercise; they went through it last year with Tom Brady. But Brady was ready to go. Newton may want to stay. Whether the Patriots want Newton or someone else for 2021, that will be determined in the next two months, culminating in the launch of the free 2021 agency in mid-March.