Justin Bethel explains why he’s excited about Cam Newton joining Patriots
Cam Newton’s arrival to the New England Patriots has generated lots of excitement from fans across the region, and that energy is also found in the team’s players.
Patriots special teams ace Justin Bethel, who signed with the team in the middle of the 2019 season after being released by the Baltimore Ravens, has played against Newton a few times in his career. So he has a pretty good idea of what it’s like to go up against a quarterback who can rack up huge chunks of yards in both the passing and running games.
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Bethel was a guest on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” earlier this week, where he told the story of how he found out about Newton signing with the Patriots and his initial reaction to the move.
“I was in Arizona in my music room messing around with some stuff, and my dad actually called me and was like, ‘Hey, did you hear what happened? Did you hear who you got?'” Bethel said. “I was like, ‘No, I have no clue, what’s going on?’ (My dad) was the first one who told me, and then obviously the texts start rolling in from all my friends. I’m excited about it. I’ve played against him a couple times. He’s a great player. He’s done a lot of great things in the league. It’s going to be good to see what he does with the Patriots.”
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Bethel is confident that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and the rest of his staff will be able to maximize Newton’s skill set with whatever offense is created.
“He’s just one of those guys that can make plays any time,” Bethel explained. “If you need something, he’ll find a way to make it happen. I definitely think Bill will find a way, or whatever they do, they’re going to find a way to use him whatever way they need to and I’m excited about it.”
There’s no guarantee Newton will be the starting quarterback for the Patriots entering Week 1. He has to stay healthy and beat out 2019 fourth-round draft pick Jarrett Stidham to claim the role. But if Newton is healthy, he’s going to be extremely motivated to play at a high level in New England and prove his doubters (and the teams that passed on him in free agency) wrong.
Justin Bethel explains why he’s excited about Cam Newton joining Patriots originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
