Former NFL MVP and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton came to the defense of Arch Manning amid criticism over his decision to spend two years as the backup to Quinn Ewers at Texas, saying that developing as a backup was a wise approach by Arch and his family.
Manning, who now enters his first season as a starting quarterback and the presumptive favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, had been targeted by critics such as former Florida coach Steve Spurrier who have questioned the hype surrounding him on the basis of his spending two years behind Ewers, who eventually only amounted to a seventh round NFL Draft pick.
On his 4th & 1 podcast, Newton issued a reminder that the Manning family sent Arch to Texas with the understanding that they were trying to put him in the best situation to develop into the best possible quarterback by the time he’s eligible for the NFL. In the Transfer Portal era of college football and an increased demand for instant gratification, Newton served a reminder of the usefulness of such an approach.
“A lot of these parents and a lot of these players get so jaded off of the fact that ‘hey, I’m trying to play early.’ No no no no no no, scratch that,” Newton said. “Go somewhere that after three years you can put yourself in a position to go to the league. That doesn’t mean that I’m going somewhere where I can play early or start. Just because you’re starting doesn’t mean you’re getting developed.”
Newton went on to compare Manning’s situation to his own time at Florida, where he credited being a backup to Tim Tebow as showing him what he was missing as a quarterback despite the immense physical talent that later led to him winning a national championship at Auburn and winning NFL MVP honors with the Carolina Panthers. In…
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