Replacing a legend can be a daunting task, but there are cases where the replacement has done an admirable job of completing it.
Steve Young was able to lead the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl victory after succeeding Joe Montana. When Andrew Luck stepped in for Peyton Manning, the Colts saw considerable success.
And now Cam Newton hopes to do the same with the New England Patriots while taking charge of Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback of all time.
In a recent interview with Odell Beckham Jr., Todd Gurley and Victor Cruz, Newton acknowledged that he has great shoes to fill in New England, but argued that it offers a dynamic set of skills that the Patriots have not had with Brady under centering.
“Do you know who [you’re] coming later? I’m like, yeah, great. What was, what is, is great, you don’t even need to talk about it, ”Newton said. “But one thing about it: coach [Josh] McDaniels, you can call some things you have never been able to call now. “
And Newton certainly has justification for feeling this way. Although he has been injured in the past two seasons, which has led to inconsistent play, he remains one of the most dynamic players to play the quarterback position in NFL history.
Shannon Sharpe believes this trust is necessary for Newton to succeed behind a legendary figure like Brady, because otherwise he might fall apart under pressure.
“He’s right, there will be things Josh can call that he could never call Tom. But there are also things Josh could call Tom that he won’t call Cam. But I like trust and Cam has to have that. “
. @ ShannonSharpe on whether Cam Newton can live up to the pressure to replace Brady:
“There is a lot of confidence that you have to replace Brady, because you cannot shrink. Cam has to believe that he is the camera of yesteryear and not an old one.” pic.twitter.com/oEwIEAk1nn
– NOT DISPUTED (@undisputed) July 14, 2020
And Newton already has the support of one of the Patriots’ best players, current NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.
Gilmore endorsed Newton’s signature on The Bakari Sellers Podcast, citing Newton’s hunger as a big reason why he should be successful this coming season.
“It was a great signature. I think Cam is very hungry. I’ve always been a Cam fanatic. I think it is difficult to prepare and he has a great opportunity to compete for an initial job, and I look forward to seeing him on our team. “
. @ BumpNrunGilm0re joined @Bakari_Sellers on ‘The Bakari Sellers Podcast’ to discuss their reaction to Patriots signature Cam Newton pic.twitter.com/q0nv4E16d0
– The Ringer (@ringer) July 13, 2020
Newton enters New England with a bigger-than-life personality and an even bigger chip on his shoulder.
If he’s still the Newton of old, that could spell trouble for the rest of the NFL.
