Cam Newton has been trying to get back into the NFL for a couple of years now, and he apparently thinks that his appearance is what is keeping teams in the league away.
The former MVP was one of the most dominant forces in the league back in 2015. Newton led his Carolina Panthers to a 15-1 record and an appearance in the Super Bowl. But his performance began to suffer as his numbers dropped in the following years, and he struggled to lock down a starting job late in his career.
Cam Newton Says His Looks Are A Reason He Doesn’t Have A Job
Update: Former NFL MVP Cam Newton thinks his dreadlocks and fashion have 'hindered' his chances of being in the league.
"It's been hindered, and I'm not changing," – via @JosinaAnderson
"People have hinted towards to say like, 'Cam, we want you to go back to the 2015 clean-cut… pic.twitter.com/cs7Aq1D0Gw
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 5, 2023
After leaving the Panthers, he started 15 games for the New England Patriots and threw for 8 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. It looked as though the rumors may have been true about the loss of velocity on his passes and his inability to consistently hit receivers.
An unsuccessful return to Carolina was the last action that Newton saw in an NFL uniform, leading his team to an 0-5 record in 5 starts.
He has attempted to get his name back at the top of the league’s free agent pool. In March, Newton released a video of him wondering why “randoms keep getting jobs”, and announced that he would be working out at Auburn’s Pro Day (an odd move in itself for a former NFL MVP). That Pro Day didn’t do much to impress scouts around the league, according to reports.
Undefined with Josina Anderson Pod S3e4: @CameronNewton
After the Met Gala, Cam stopped through to rate the red-carpet looks.
Plus
-Has style/hair impacted jobs
-Which teams r calling
-Has the Draft changed his list
-Lamar, Jets, young guns, retire
P: https://t.co/48D912aas9 pic.twitter.com/qo6a4Ne8rG
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) May 2, 2023
But instead of his deteriorating play, Cam Newton has turned to his appearance, most specifically his dreadlocks, as a potential reason why he doesn’t have a job.
On The Undefined Podcast hosted by Josina Anderson, Newton alluded to the troubles with his hair.
“People have hinted towards to say like, ‘Cam, we want you to go back to the 2015 clean-cut Cam. But that was a different me. Right now, where I’m at, it’s about embracing who I am.”
Anderson asks him if there are any teams in specific that may have given him the cold shoulder due to his unorthodox hairstyle. While he didn’t call out any names, Newton did say that there were “hints at it”.
“Cam, you scarin’ people the way you look.’ And I would say, yo, like I’m not gonna name names, but there’s other quarterbacks that’s in the league that don’t look like me, but they got long hair. They don’t scare them, do they”
There were plenty of teams that became quarterback hungry in 2022 due to a rash of injuries to players at the position around the league. No one ever called Cam Newton to ask him about his services, and another year on the shelf won’t do him any good when staking his case for getting back into the league.