Cam Newton had plenty to say after Thursday night's preseason opener, but it was his Instagram post on Friday that raised some eyebrows.
The New England Patriots quarterback shared a number of photos with an interesting message for the caption.
"I'm far from perfect.... but loyalty, I deserve it," he wrote.
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It's hard to ignore the timing of Newton's cryptic post as he currently is in the midst of a QB competition with rookie Mac Jones. While the caption could be completely unrelated to football, there's no doubt it will be interpreted as a message to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick or anyone else who may be leaning toward Jones for the starting gig.
Newton unsurprisingly got the start Thursday night, completing four of his seven passes for 49 yards before being replaced by Jones at the end of the first quarter. The 15th overall pick in this year's draft impressed in his first taste of NFL action, going 13-for-19 with 87 yards.
The Patriots went on to beat the Washington Football team, 22-13. The next test for Newton and Jones will be another preseason matchup next Thursday vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.