Cam Newton Uses Joe Flacco to Deliver a Hard Truth to Shedeur Sanders
Cam Newton Uses Joe Flacco to Deliver a Hard Truth to Shedeur Sanders originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Former Auburn Tigers Heisman Trophy Award winner Cam Newton had an exceptional football career, but it did not come without its speed bumps. He began his college career with the Florida Gators, where off-the-field issues resulted in just 13 pass attempts over two years before transferring to Blinn College.
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Newton grinded at the JUCO level for a season before remerging at Auburn, leading the Tigers to a national championship in his lone season and vaulting himself to the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders (left) and Joe Flacco (right)Ken Blaze-Imagn Images; Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK
The dual-threat passer hit the ground running against the world's toughest competition, winning Rookie of the Year in 2011 and the MVP in 2015. Newton followed up his MVP season with a career-worst campaign but then had back-to-back respectable seasons in 2017 and 2018, followed by a Lisfranc fracture that derailed his 2019 year.
Newton played two more seasons before his retirement and has since transitioned into joining the media, highlighted by his show "\4th&1 with Cam Newton."
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On Thursday, Newton, as he does every week, shared his thoughts on the top stories surrounding the NFL, drawing on his experiences in both the NFL and college. Newton spoke on the dynamic that is likely to take place within the Cleveland Browns quarterback room, with the NFC North club housing veteran Super Bowl champ Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Newton believes it would be beneficial for the young quarterbacks to remain diligent in Flacco's everyday habits, including film study and workouts, rather than relying on him for mentorship.
"It is nobody's job to teach you nothing. It is your job to make sure that you learn at your rate," said Newton when discussing why most young quarterbacks flameout, or at least never reach star status.
Newton continued, saying, "You can't take the elevator to success… this game is manual."
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Cleveland made waves this offseason, selecting the sliding Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns for the Colorado Buffaloes last season while finishing eighth in Heisman voting.
Related: Gus Malzahn Names One Player Who Never Got the Credit He Deserved
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
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It's a game that's been played for generations. Bailey's game was played out for the public to digest. That's the only difference.
