In 2011, the Carolina Panthers selected Cam Newton with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Newton turned around the fate of the franchised that had won 10 games over the past two seasons. In his 10 years with Carolina, Newton was named the 2015 NFL MVP, earned three Pro Bowl Selections and helped reimagine what was possible from the quarterback position.
Newton’s last NFL season came in 2021, and after an 11 year NFL career, the now-retired Newton hosts a podcast called 4th&1 with Cam Newton. On Friday, Newton’s co-host Omari “Peggy” Collins poised an interesting question.
If Newton were to start his career today, which team would he choose to start his career with?
Special guest Bryant McFadden was certain he knew, while Newton had an answer decided right away. They shared their answers at the same time, and while McFadden posed the Los Angeles Rams as the surefire answer, Newton, without missing a beat, claimed the Dallas Cowboys.
“Who does not want to be on the Dallas Cowboys?” Newton asked.
McFadden was befuddled by Newton’s answer, with McFadden pointing to a number of football reasons why Newton makes sense in Los Angeles. Newton had a different reason on his mind.
Newton believed that his brand would be best in Dallas, sharing that “Everybody’s dream is to go to a legacy franchise in a big market.”
McFadden still pleaded his case, but Newton made it clear he wasn’t too concerned with the coach, scheme, or creativity of any given offense.
“If I’m the first pick of the draft, and I’m getting drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, that’s everybody’s dream. Contrary to what anybody may think, the Dallas Cowboys is a team that everybody considers as the biggest team in the NFL because of marketability.”
McFadden posited that Los Angeles or one of the New York teams could be equally as lucrative for marketing purposes, with Newton’s rebuttal claiming that any time the Cowboys are brought up, it invokes an emotional response.
The good news? Cam is right.
The bad news? Cowboys Nation wishes the dream of joining Jerry Jones’ team would be more about championships than about “marketability.”
