Richard Sherman Calls Out Patriots and NFL for Cam Newton's Weak Contract With New England

The reactions to Cam Newton signing with the New England Patriots were largely positive as most of his NFL colleagues were relieved to see him find a home following his unceremonious departure from the Carolina Panthers earlier this offseason.

However, the always-opinionated Richard Sherman had a polar opposite take to the news. The San Francisco 49ers cornerback blasted both the NFL and New England for Newton's weak contract, which is reported to be worth up to $7.5 million, in a powerful tweet on Sunday night.

This is hardly a scorching take from Sherman, who regularly enjoys stirring up debates on social media. Newton's injuries might be piling up and he's certainly not as mobile as he once was, but it's downright shocking to think that a player of his caliber will be banking less than $10 million this year.

As Sherman notes, there are several quarterbacks in the league that are inferior to Newton, but will be making more than him. Guys like Jacoby Brissett ($15 million) and Marcus Mariota ($8.8 million) are slated to pocket more than the former MVP. That list becomes even more egregious when you realize that the likes of Teddy Bridgewater, Alex Smith, Derek Carr and Philip Rivers will all earn over $20 million.

However, the Patriots cap situation prevented them from offering more, so they're not entirely to blame. After all, according to reports, they're the only team that even had talks with Newton.

Implying that Newton is just as good or better than most of those gunslingers is spot on from Sherman. We understand that the three-time Pro Bowler signed the deal -- and that speaks volumes to the lack of interest from other teams -- but it's impossible to refute the notion that he deserves more than the league minimum. At 31 years old, he's still very much in the prime of his career.