We’ve seen a lot of late bloomers in the NFL lately, especially at the quarterback position. After enduring a rather abysmal start to their respective careers, both Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield are looking like two of the most premier passers in football right now. And after escaping New York City, even Daniel Jones is beginning to garner some much-deserved hype.
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With these changes in fortunes, there are plenty of reminders that we should remain patient when judging a signal caller. Cam Newton, understandably, feels for them when talented quarterbacks get harshly, and at times, unjustly, branded.
And Newton feels some grace should be extended toward the San Francisco 49ers backup QB, Mac Jones. “Day one, when Mac came in,” Newton prefaced as he reflected on their time together with the New England Patriots, “He was definitely the quiet type, chill.”
Typically, QB1s tend to be a bit more vocal, as they are often expected to be the leader of the locker room. But Newton suggests that Jones’ quiet demeanor and presence should have never been a concern in the first place. Much like several other quarterbacks, Jones eventually grew into that leadership position.
“Playing quarterback, or any type of leadership position, you have to have your own type of flair doing it. You see a guy like Matthew Stafford, right? He’s not a ‘rah rah’ type of guy… That doesn’t mean that he’s not a good leader,” explained Newton.
“You see a guy like Jared Goff. I look on [the] TV and see the Detroit Lions, he’s got a captain’s patch. A guy like Drew Brees, who grew into a more vocal leader as his career took place. The same thing goes for a guy like Mac Jones,” he added.
Newton then likened Jones’ journey to that of Darnold and Mayfield. Both of them were essentially forced into being journeymen right up until they were finally allowed to prove themselves somewhere. And once they did establish themselves emphatically — Darnold in Seattle and Mayfield in Tampa Bay — they never looked back.
“We’ve seen this with Baker Mayfield. We’ve seen this with Sam Darnold. We’re now seeing it with Daniel Jones,” Cam said.
Of course, that has also meant that their teams have gotten some rather high-end production at a bit of a discounted price.
The Buccaneers were able to get 4,500 passing yards and 41 touchdowns out of Mayfield last season after signing him to a three-year, $100-million deal. Darnold, who currently ranks seventh in passing yards and is leading the league in yards per completion, essentially received the same contract from the Seattle Seahawks this past offseason.
Of course, Jones’ two-year, $8.4-million deal pales in comparison to Darnold’s and Mayfield’s. But given his improved rate of play and the fact that he’s boasting a 5-2 record on the year, it may not be long before he receives a similar amount of compensation.
The bottom line of what Newton was saying was that don’t be quick to write off that next rookie quarterback. He may just end up throwing for four passing touchdowns against your favorite team a few seasons later.
