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Cam Newton Favored to Win NFL Comeback Player of the Year After Leading Pats to Week 1 Win

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in NFL Football

Updated Mar 9, 2021 · 3:07 PM PST

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton
New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton celebrates his touchdown pass to Devin Asiasi in the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
  • Cam Newton is now favored to win the 2020 Comeback Player Of The Year
  • Newton had a good showing in Week 1 against Miami, compiling 230 yards and two rushing touchdowns
  • Is Newton worth a bet at this point or is there value with someone else?

The first week of the 2020 NFL season went swimmingly for Cam Newton. As a matter of fact, it went so well that he’s now favored to win the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Is he the best bet for this prop at this point? Let’s take a closer look at how the odds have moved around and examine who is the best bet in the race for this award.

2020-21 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Odds

Player Team Odds at FanDuel
Cam Newton (QB) Patriots +210
Ben Roethlisberger (QB) Steelers +260
Alex Smith (QB) Washington Football Team +550
Matt Stafford (QB) Lions +700
A.J. Green (WR) Bengals +850
J.J. Watt (DE) Texans +850
Rob Gronkowski (TE) Buccaneers +850
Myles Garrett (DT) Browns +2000
Nick Foles (QB) Bears +2000
Andy Dalton (QB) Cowboys +3300
Antonio Brown (WR) Free Agent +3300
Bradley Chubb (LB) Broncos +3300
Aldon Smith (LB) Cowboys +5000
C.J. Mosley (LB) Jets +5000

Odds taken September 15

Newton Now Favored for Comeback Player of the Year

When the odds for this prop opened up, it was actually Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who was favored to win. At the time, Newton was a free agent and was fifth in line in terms of the odds. He then crept up into the top 3 when he signed with the New England Patriots but now he’s favored.

Newton had a strong showing in the opener as he was efficient passing the ball, going 15-of-19 for 155 yards. The rushing stats are what popped out as he had 15 carries for 75 yards and a pair of touchdowns, which is what led the Patriots to the win.

The thinking here is that the Patriots did pretty well with Tom Brady last season in a year where Brady had mostly pedestrian numbers. Brady had 221 passing yards or less in six of his final eight games in New England. If Newton can match or better those stats and the Patriots are again competitive, he’ll get plenty of attention for the Comeback Player award.

Temper Expectations

It’s important that we don’t go overboard with Newton at this point. We’ve already seen how going overboard can lead to some bad decisions with this prop. When Alex Smith was cleared to return, he was made the favorite to win Comeback Player of the Year. He’s now third in line and still falling as he’s not even starting for Washington.

With Newton, he did have a good week but considering the opponent – the Miami Dolphins – it wasn’t exactly electrifying. Newton finished with 230 totals yards and two touchdowns. That’s strong considering he hardly played all of last season but other players in the running for this award had better weeks.

For comparison, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was 21-of-32 for 229 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Meanwhile, Aldon Smith of the Dallas Cowboys – who hadn’t played since 2015 – came in and was a difference-maker for the Cowboys defense. He led the team with 11 tackles, had two quarterback hits, had a sack and a tackle for loss.

What’s the Best Bet?

At this point, it’s best to be cautious to be hopping on board the Newton bandwagon. Newton looked pretty good against Miami but the schedule will get trickier in the coming weeks. There is a road trip to Seattle on Sunday followed by a home game with Las Vegas followed by a visit to Kansas City. There are also games against San Francisco and Buffalo before Week 9.

Newton looked pretty good this week at home against a shaky Dolphins defense. Things are going to ramp up in the coming weeks against Super Bowl contenders like Seattle and Kansas City, and we’ll get a better idea. At this point, it’s hard to see his odds getting any shorter, so don’t bet him. If anything, take a look at Aldon Smith, who is worth a little flier at 50/1.

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