Cameron Newton was supposed to redefine the quarterback position when he was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2011. Then a funny thing happened, several quarterbacks drafted after Newton either surpassed his rookie output or supplanted him as the next big thing.
Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick stole the show from Newton and now are the new NFL prototype.
Newton isn’t worried about his new group of rivals at his position, and during a NFL Network interview, said that his younger quarterback counterparts motivate him to improve according to Pro Football Talk.
“No, by no means,” Newton said. “I’m a fan of those guys. Colin Kaepernick, I got an opportunity to know him well; we were roommates at the Combine when we were coming out. RG3, he’s won the Heisman. Andrew Luck – those guys came in this league and took it by storm. Am I envious? No. If anything it challenges me to get better and just remember about this league that if you’re not getting better, you’re getting forgotten. So for this whole offseason I’ve been challenging myself, one, to lose weight, two, to become not a stronger player but a smarter player. That’s one thing I’ve been focusing on with our quarterback coach Ken Dorsey and offensive coordinate Mike Shula. Those guys have been helping me progressing in those different areas.”
Newton said he’s worked on maturing and becoming a better leader, and thinks his Panthers can win the NFC South this season.