Cam Newton, known for his provocative opinions on the NFL, has ignited discussion once again with his latest remarks. On his podcast "4th & 1," the former MVP shared his top five quarterbacks, and notably excluded Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, despite Mahomes leading the only unbeaten team in the league this season.
During the episode (timestamp 1:42:04), Newton presented his "QB Trust Rankings," placing Lamar Jackson at the top, followed by Jared Goff, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Sam Darnold. The absence of Mahomes drew significant attention, prompting many to question how the quarterback of the top team could be omitted.
Newton defended his selections by explaining that his criteria for "trust" extend beyond mere wins. He pointed out that, although Mahomes is undeniably talented, he hasn't demonstrated the clutch consistency that Newton feels is necessary for his current rankings.
"He's not playing up to the caliber that we expect [him] to play. Even sitting at 6-0, they have found ways not to lose. And teams have found ways to lose those games," Newton stated.
Mahomes' Season Performance
Mahomes has faced a challenging start to the season, recording more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (six) over six games. He ranks 16th in passing yards (1,389) and 9th in QBR (61.2), completing 67.9 percent of his passes.
After the Chiefs’ recent victory against the San Francisco 49ers, Mahomes acknowledged his struggles but emphasized the importance of team success.
We're winning games against good teams by a good amount of points and that's not easy for the NFL. But I just don't think it's normal for what you've seen from us because there's not a lot of passing touchdowns. There's been a lot of turnovers, especially by me. So, I think it's just showing the versatility of our team. It's not just about me, it's not just about the stats and the light show and stuff like that. It's about playing team football," he added
Quarterback Stats (2023 Season)
1. Lamar Jackson
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Games: 16
Completions: 307
Attempts: 457
Completion %: 67.2%
Passing Yards: 3,678
Touchdowns: 24
Interceptions: 7
Passer Rating: 102.7
2. Jared Goff
Team: Detroit Lions
Games: 16
Completions: 392
Attempts: 581
Completion %: 67.5%
Passing Yards: 4,447
Touchdowns: 29
Interceptions: 7
Passer Rating: 103.8
3. Josh Allen
Team: Buffalo Bills
Games: 16
Completions: 366
Attempts: 569
Completion %: 64.3%
Passing Yards: 4,181
Touchdowns: 31
Interceptions: 10
Passer Rating: 98.7
4. Joe Burrow
Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Games: 16
Completions: 370
Attempts: 550
Completion %: 67.3%
Passing Yards: 4,200
Touchdowns: 28
Interceptions: 9
Passer Rating: 101.5
5. Sam Darnold
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Games: 16
Completions: 295
Attempts: 469
Completion %: 62.9%
Passing Yards: 3,100
Touchdowns: 20
Interceptions: 8
Passer Rating: 90.2