What would you give up to win a championship? Would you trade personal glory for the opportunity to celebrate the biggest prize in sports with your teammates? Cam Newton faced this question and answered in a way that surprised many.
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No, he wouldn't trade his MVP award for a Super Bowl win.
"What's more important — impact or championships," Newton asked during the Jan. 30 episode of "First Take" on ESPN. He continued and said that not every player will be Michael Jordan or Patrick Mahomes, players who dominated the sport while winning championships.
Cam Newton says on @FirstTake he wouldn’t trade his NFL MVP for a Super Bowl championship: pic.twitter.com/WmO0FW33MA
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 30, 2025
He continued and mentioned past quarterbacks who celebrated wins in the Big Game.
"Let me remind you — Brad Johnson won a Super Bowl. Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl. Respectfully, Nick Foles won a Super Bowl. When you look at those guys and you say, 'Okay, what's more important? Would you have preferred to win a Super Bowl?'
"I think that's the humble approach, but if we're being honest, the impact of you holding yourself accountable of saying everybody has a responsibility to do and you can say as an MVP award winner or All-American, you held yourself or you held your end of the bargain down."
Newton made it to the biggest game in the NFL but fell short of the win and the opportunity to hold up the Lombardi Trophy. Instead, the Denver Broncos celebrated while Newton and his Carolina Panthers teammates headed home disappointed.
This appearance in the Big Game followed an MVP campaign in which the former Auburn quarterback led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC. He threw for 3,837 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He rushed for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns.
While Newton was dominant during the regular season, he struggled while facing the Broncos' top-ranked defense. He threw for 265 yards and one interception. He also lost two fumbles as the Panthers scored only 10 points. One of these fumbles sparked criticism as the replay showed him start to go for the ball before deciding to step away from the scrum.
