Cam Newton says his dreadlocks are a reason he is not on an NFL roster

Cam Newton says his dreadlocks are a reason he is not on an NFL roster.

Cam Newton is not his 2015 MVP self anymore, but the three-time Pro Bowler says there’s another reason why he’s still a free agent.

Over the years, Newton has grown out his hair for dreadlocks, and he suggests that’s a reason why he remained unsigned throughout the 2022 season and is still looking for a job.

'And the thing that is always mentioned is, "Cam, you scarin' people with how you look." And I would say, "Yo, like I'm not gonna name names, but there's other quarterbacks that's in the league that don't look like me, but they got long hair." They don't scare them, do they?' 

Newton has often received criticism for his outlandish and individual fashion sense, usually reserved for an NBA star or Hollywood actor, as opposed to a face of an NFL franchise.

'I would say look, that's not the reason I'm not in the NFL right now. Needless to say, I hope I'm not being blackballed for that but I don't think that's the situation,' Newton said. 

His current predicament has been a stellar fall from grace. Less than eight years ago, Newton was the most devastating force in the league, ratified by his 2015 MVP honor. 

With elite quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady playing into their late 30s and 40s respectively, it is telling that 33-year-old Newton is 18 months removed from the locker room. “It’s been hindered. And I’m not changin’,” he said on Josina Anderson’s “Undefined” podcast. 

“People have hinted towards to say like, ‘Cam, we want you to go back to the 2015 clean-cut Cam. But that was a different me. Right now, where I’m at, it’s about embracing who I am.”

The New England Patriots signed him during his dreadlocks phase, and he started 15 games for them in 2020. He returned to the Carolina Panthers in 2021 and played in eight games. 

'I'm a situation where I'm not getting no younger, there's guys that are cheaper than me that probably have a step up on me. It's discretionary. I'm in a good space. They can think what they want but the reality of it is, my hair is deeply rooted in my culture and the people who look like me.'

Newton made headlines in March for defiantly stating 'there ain't 32 motherf****** better than me,' referring to the league's starting quarterbacks.