Cam Newton claimed earlier this week that he would not trade his MVP award for a Super Bowl, which raised several eyebrows, both in the First Take studio and on the internet. While most players prefer a team achievement like a Super Bowl, the former Panthers QB was content with his biggest personal accolade.
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When Kay Adams brought this up during her conversation with Eli Manning on the Up and Adams Show, the Giants legend respected Cam’s choice. He claimed that Cam had a tremendous season in 2015, which is regarded as one of the best by a dual-threat QB.
“It’s one of those deals where ‘Hey Cam is proud of his MVP award’ and that he has every right to be. An unbelievable season and a great and deserving of that award.”
Although Eli doesn’t like to play around with hypothetical situations, he claimed that the majority of the players in the league would prefer a Super Bowl victory over a personal accolade. This is fitting since most of the awards are dominated by QBs, and the remaining players rarely receive the recognition they deserve.
So the best way to become a decorated athlete in the league would be to win championships. But for that to happen, a team would need players who are on the same mission.
“I think as players you feel like, ‘Hey I’m doing my job. I want to be prepared. I want to go out there and play to the best of my ability’. This is a team sport and you gotta rely on people around you as well… A lot of people, they want to win the championships,” Eli added.
Would @EliManning trade one of his Super Bowls for a league MVP???
“The ultimate goal… to be a great TEAM PLAYER and do your part and do what’s best for the team to go out and try to win a championship.”@heykayadams @Giants pic.twitter.com/sVBBRjITuO
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) January 31, 2025
Eli referred to Saquon Barkley as an example of the ultimate team player, saying that he sacrificed his personal ambitions to go all in on the playoffs.
He reflected on the last game of the 2024 regular season, where the Eagles RB with 2005 yards sat out to be healthy for the playoffs when he had the chance to break Eric Dickerson’s record (2105) for the most rushing yards in the regular season. It was a big deal since the record hasn’t been broken for the last 40 years, and breaking it would have made Barkley a strong MVP contender alongside Josh Allen.
“He said, ‘Hey, that’s what’s best for the team, this is what I’m advised to do. Sit out, be healthy for the playoffs, make this run.’ Obviously, it paid off. He’s been tremendous during the playoffs and has a chance to win a championship and I think that’s the ultimate goal. To be a great team player and do your part. Do what’s best for the team to try and win a championship.”
It was an ultimate sacrifice made by Saquon which has been paying off since the Eagles are all set for the Super Bowl LIX. However, this signifies the need to be a team player instead of focusing on collecting personal accolades.
But that does not put a dent in Cam’s MVP award. Winning that award suggests he was fully committed to helping his team secure the championship that year. Unfortunately, he fell prey to the wrath of Eli’s brother, Peyton Manning, in Super Bowl 50.
