Newton's entire season going back to August is and audition.

Sometime between the Patriots playoff loss and Tom Brady announcing that he was walking away from the Patriots, it was made known that the team wanted Stidham to sit and develop one more year behind Brady.

When Brady left, I started doing research on Stidham. After seeing 2018 draft projections, I understood why the Patriots drafted and wanted to develop him. I saw red flags with Cam Newton prior to signing him and believed Stidham could beat him out.

However, I also said If Newton beat Stidham out, that the Patriots wanted to develop him, so he could learn how to run behind Newton. Newton was brought in on an incentive heavy, prove it contract.

August came and reports were Newton wasn't doing anything to pull himself apart from Stidham. That he was inaccurate and was having several dropped interceptions. The Patriots went and named Stidham and Newton costarters. 

Stidham got hurt and the Patriots contributed his three days of poor play to the injury. The team was not happy about the circumstances around the injury or how Stidham handled it. 

Newton was given more snaps over the next ten days due to Stidham's injury. Newton was still inaccurate, completing 46% of 28 passes near the end of camp. However, the Patriots decided to go with Newton because he had more time with the starters and not because he outplayed Stidham.

Week one came and Stid was punished and demoted to third string for his handling of the situation in August. He would spend several weeks in Belichick's doghouse. 

Newton rushed for 75 yards but his passing yardage was mediocre. There was a lot of talk, lot of excuses that the Patriots we're working on the former MVP and 10-year veteran's throwing mechanics.

Week two, against the worst passing defense in the NFL, Cam Newton and the Patriots pass catchers put up 397 yards in the air. Newton had a dropped pick six and an interception. 

Patriots nation was calling for the Patriots to give Newton a 3 year, 100 million dollar extension. I said wait until at least the Arizona game because Newton has a history of being inconsistent. That the Patriots needed to see more. 

That if they did extended him, it should be in a two year deal because that way they have time to figure out what they wanted to do with Stidham and if he wasn't the guy; they could give Newton another extension and draft a quarterback.

Week three came and during the first half versus the Raiders, Newton looked like crap for the first four drives. Before McDaniels dialed up some plays to put the ball in the endzone.

Newton would miss week four. Stidham would earn his spot back, coming in with under 16 minutes left versus KC. The game was still in reach, Stidham put up a performance that rivaled Cam Newton's complete first half versus the Raiders.

The NFL would postpone the week five match up versus Denver, moving it to week six. Making sure that they got their ratings with a Cam Newton start.

Newton would play like garbage versus Denver. Excuses came out that he only practiced twice since week three. That didn't explain why Newton held on to the ball or took off with open pass catchers.

Against San Francisco,  threw 3 interceptions in 15 passes and was benched in the fourth for Stidham. Again Stidham's play was comparable to what Newton had done versus the Niners.

Newton would then cost the Patriots the game against Buffalo with a fumble. There was questions on who should start versus the Jets. I said as long as the Patriots are mathematically in the hunt, Newton should continue to start unless he implodes again. To play Stidham once the Patriots are eliminated.

Newton and Meyers lit up the 29th ranked passing defense that the Jets have but Newton almost gave the ball to the Jets, stretching out in front of a Jets defender near the goal line. The Defender wasn't aware enough to snatch the ball.

The Patriots went on to win the game by a field goal and now everyone is saying Cam is playing for an extension. I had been said that all season. He's never stopped playing for a contract because he hadn't earned one versus the Seahawks or Raiders.

Now take Belichick's latest comments about not having the money to sign weapons, leading to an inference that he had to sign Cam because he couldn't afford a quarterback. Then looking at the type of contract Newton signed. His entire season is an audition. Incase nobody noticed.