Details Emerge On Cam Newton's New Contract With Patriots

BOSTON (CBS) -- When news that Cam Newton was getting another contract from the Patriots broke on Friday morning, fans were taken aback. They were even more surprised to learn that the new deal could be worth upwards of $14 million.

More details have emerged on Newton's new pact with New England, and as it turns out, the QB likely won't make much in 2021. According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the deal carries a base value of just $5 million. That includes a base salary of $1.5 million, a $2 million signing bonus, and $1.5 million in per-game roster bonuses.

The majority of the contract -- $9 million -- is incentives, according to Garafolo. Newton can earn a lot of extra cheddar for leading the Patriots to the playoffs, if he earns Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors, and if he wins Super Bowl MVP.

The $5 million base is in line with what most backup quarterbacks make in the NFL. Newton is counting on himself to perform much better than he did in an up-and-down first season in New England. For comparison's sake, he ended up earning just under $4 million with the Patriots in 2020.

It's a fairly low-risk move for the Patriots. The team would eat just $3.5 million in dead cap if Newton is cut at any point this season. That would fall to just $2 million if Newton is traded.

Newton's cap hit for the 2021 season will be just under $5 million, according to cap guru Miguel Benzan. Any incentives that Newton earns next season would go toward the 2022 salary cap.

That relatively small base salary and value leaves the door open for the Patriots to acquire another veteran quarterback to join Newton and Jarrett Stidham on the depth chart -- and create even more competition for the starting job come Training Camp.

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