Inside Cam Newton's Life Today After His Bitter Exit From The NFL
Quarterback Cam Newton was fresh off a National Championship at Auburn when he was selected by the Carolina Panthers as the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. In 2015, he won the league's MVP award after driving Carolina to an appearance in Super Bowl 50, per USA Today. "I'm very proud," Newton said of the win. "We didn't get in this position by happenstance. It took years of hard work and dedication."
Despite early success, Newton was always plagued with a reputation for being selfish and difficult. In 2012, Bleacher Report ran an article chronicling his attitude issues and poor sportsmanship. This included an incident where he refused to shake fellow quarterback Eli Manning's hand and a situation in which he kept his entire team waiting because he was sulking in the locker room after a loss. Eventually, due to his antics, as well as his slew of injuries, teams no longer wanted Newton on their roster. As of this writing, the quarterback hasn't played in the NFL since 2021.
Today, Newton maintains that he's still good enough to play at a top level; however, it's not just a matter of skill. "I scare people, because you can't control me. I'm not a puppet. I cut them strings off a long time ago," the former Carolina man said in December on "The Big Tigger Morning Show." Even so, he may not have fully ruled out a return to the NFL.
Cam Newton wants back in the NFL
In November 2023, Cam Newton appeared on "The Dan Patrick Show," where he told the host he has "a lot of interest" in taking up the mantle of NFL quarterback. But no teams have reached out to him since 2021. "I know that it doesn't matter how many times you call; if they don't want you, they're not going to pick up," he explained. Newton then admitted that teams' refusal to take him on could have something to do with his big personality. "What do you say to a Dak Prescott ... a Derek Carr ... a healthy DeShaun Watson ... Cam Newton's coming [to] town?" he added.
The ex-quarterback has made no secret of his desire to return to the league. In March 2023, Newton announced plans to throw at Auburn's Pro Day, telling fans, "Ain't 32 motherf****** better than me." In fact, the one-time MVP wants to be back in the NFL so badly that he's willing to do it as a backup. "There's a narrative that's out there that says, you know, Cam does not want to be a backup," he said on his YouTube channel in April. "I never said I didn't want to be a backup, so I'm going to take this time to explain who and what situation I would want to be a backup to and for." Newton then listed out his preferred choices; to date, nothing has come to fruition.
Cam Newton is still making a lot of money
Though the NFL hasn't called (yet), Cam Newton is keeping busy. As well as keeping in shape, the athlete regularly appears on podcasts to talk about NFL opportunities — but it's his financial choices that are holding him in good stead. Turns out, the ex-quarterback has a savvy business mind! In June, CNBC listed Newton as an investor in a company called Overtime, which launched an amateur football league it termed "OT7." He also has money in plant-based food brands Dream Pops and Daring Foods and owns a cigar bar in Atlanta. "If I can't relate to it personally, I don't do it," the quarterback shared. "I'm a person who did right with their money and [is] continuing to do right by my money." Newton's current net worth reportedly sits at a staggering $75 million, and he made $133 million over an 11-year career in the NFL.
Speaking with Assets over Liabilities in 2023, Newton shared that he is a minority investor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). "They capped me at a quarter mil' ... I tried to invest more, and then, a couple of years ago, I [got] an email, and it's like, 'UFC has just been bought out. We're gonna cash you out for it," he said, adding that he made $1 million in profit. Even now, Forbes includes Newton as one of the NFL's most marketable players, citing his production company and YouTube channel as proof.