CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Former Panthers quarterback Cam Newton’s known for his unconventional and flashy style away from the field. Well now, Newton has a bold idea for his former team: He says David Tepper should make a move to hire Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
“I think Tepper, knowing what I do know, he is hoping he can land Bill Belichick,” Newton said on his 4th & 1 podcast. “That right there will be a win-win-win-win for David Tepper.”
Belichick, 71, is in the midst of his worst season as New England’s coach during his epic 24-year run with the franchise. The Patriots are sitting 2-10 overall, just one game better than Carolina’s 1-11 mark, and the idea that Belichick will leave New England is gaining steam in league circles.
With Tepper looking for another head coach, Newton believes hiring Belichick could be an opportunity for both parties. First, it would give Tepper an opportunity to hire arguably the greatest coach of all time, while Belichick will get a chance to prove his amazing success wasn’t just a product of having Tom Brady.
“The thing that I know would be the enticing lure to it, is because Tepper will give him everything that he would need,” Newton explained. “And also, that will allow Belichick to say, ‘You know what, things didn’t work out. Now I can show you I can do it somewhere else.'”
Newton knows both men better than most, having spent two stints in Carolina under Tepper sandwiched around his one season in New England during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2015 NFL MVP said he doesn’t believe Tepper understood the importance of continuity when he first bought the team, which put Carolina in a state of turmoil that led to several franchise cornerstones, including Newton, as well as Thomas Davis, Ryan Kalil and Luke Kuechly, leaving the team. Newton also said Tepper made a mistake not hiring Steve Wilks, who led Carolina to a 6-6 record as the interim following Matt Rhule’s firing.
“When you look at it through the lens of coaching, Tepper has not found out the importance of continuity in the locker room. He flushed the toilet, got rid of a lot of key guys,” Newton explained. “I don’t think he valued that and it shows. He does not have a culture there by no stretch of the imagination and his presence is more so business rather than team.”
Locked On is the leading podcast network for local sports and is owned by WCNC Charlotte’s parent company TEGNA. Listen to Locked On here.
All of WCNC Charlotte’s podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.