Cam Newton Blames Hairstyle As Reason He's Not In NFL

Cam Newton has never been a shy dude.

From his wild outfits to his haircut, Newton isn't afraid of a little attention.

But could the flashy outfits and dreads be hindering his football career? He thinks so.

(Photo by Gotham/GC Images)

On Tuesday's episode of "Undefined with Josina Anderson," the free agent said his career in the NFL remains uncertain. But he's not abandoning his personal style.

"I’m not changin,'" he said. "This is one thing I do understand about my stance, especially with the NFL. It’s such a prestigious brotherhood, fraternity. And whether I go back or not, I can always say I did it at a high level. Where I’m at right now in my life—do I need the NFL? No. Does the NFL need me? Hell no. And I think that understanding is the reason why I’m able to kinda be fine."

But according to Newton, teams have hesitated to reach out to him because of his style.

"Yeah, people have hinted towards to say like, 'Cam, we want you to go back to the 2015 clean-cut Cam,'" he said. "But that was a different me. Right now, where I’m at, it’s about embracing who I am."

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Anderson then asked Newton if he had specifically been told that his dreadlocks have caused him to be blackballed.

"There was hints towards it," he said. "And the thing that is always mentioned is, 'Cam, you scarin' people the way 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?"

In his prime, Cam Newton was one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the NFL.

The 2011 No. 1 overall pick out of Auburn, Newton burst into the league as the Offensive Rookie of the Year for the Carolina Panthers. He went on to earn three Pro Bowl selections and was named NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 2015.

That year was truly the peak of his NFL career. In the 2015 regular season, Newton threw for a staggering 3,837 yards, 35 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions.

But after losing to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50, Newton's numbers fell drastically.

Then, he struggled with injuries the next couple of years. The Panthers released him in 2020.

(Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The Patriots signed him with the expectation that he would become Tom Brady's successor. But Newton was a big flop in New England — throwing only 8 touchdowns in 15 games. The Pats went 7-8 with Newton as the starter.

So unless his dreadlocks were the direct cause of Newton's faltering success on the field, they probably have nothing to do with the fact that the 33-year-old is out of a job.

NFL teams are in the business of winning games and making money. Patrick Mahomes could literally grow carrots out of his head, and he'd still have a job. Because he's winning Super Bowls and stacking MVP trophies.

And according to The New York Times, nearly one-fifth of current NFL players have dreadlocks or wear their hair in braids. That includes Aaron Jones, Tyreek Hill and Derrick Henry — just to name a few.

What do those guys have in common, aside from their hairstyles? On-field production.

But whatever makes you feel better, Cam.