Cam Newton on IG: It's Not About the Money, It's About Respect

Newton seemingly explains why he agreed to such a small contract with the Patriots.

Cam Newton's contract is a bit disappointing to some. Reason being, the 2015 MVP still has the talent and is believed to be 100% healthy, so why would he accept a one-year deal that's worth up to just $7.5 million with the New England Patriots?

Well, Superman seemingly answered that question on his Instagram Thursday morning...kind of. 

Here is what Newton said in his Instagram post:

"(There's) not a lot of things that money cannot buy, but amongst the top of that list of things, you would find RESPECT as one of those. 

"This is not about money for me; it's about respect."

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Newton's contract with New England is for one year, with a minimum base salary of $1.05 million. He received a $550,000 signing bonus, and can earn up to $6.45 million in incentives and per-game roster bonuses, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. 

It was reported on Tuesday by La Canfora that Newton's contract also does not include a provision that prevents the Patriots from franchise tagging him in 2021. So not only did the Patriots manage to sign the former MVP at a low cost this offseason, but if Newton plays well next season New England can prevent him from going elsewhere next offseason by tagging him. Doing that would retain Newton at a rate that would likely be cheaper than his rate on the open market.

Signing a modest contract seemed like an odd move for a player that, when healthy, is still one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. But according to Newton, being respected, which is something he apparently found with the Patriots, is more important than money.