On December 18, during an NFL game between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins, the Jets’ starting quarterback, Zach Wilson, got a head injury.
New York Jets QB Trevor Siemian took over for Wilson and played the rest of the game because Wilson couldn’t return due to a concussion.
In light of the incident, former NFL QB, Robert Griffin, shared his strong opinion on Trevor Siemian playing in the NFL instead of the free agent, Cam Newton.
Griffin expressed his dissatisfaction with Siemian being in the league while Newton, a former MVP, is not.
“It’s an ABSOLUTE TRAVESTY that Trevor Siemian is playing in the NFL and Cam Newton isn’t,” wrote Robert on X, formerly Twitter.
It’s an ABSOLUTE TRAVESTY that Trevor Siemian is playing in the NFL and Cam Newton isn’t.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) December 17, 2023
On Sunday, the Jets suffered a 30-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins, ending their playoff quest for the 13th consecutive year.
FYI, Zach Wilson began the 2023 NFL season as the designated backup quarterback for Aaron Rodgers. However, he assumed the starting role in the first game after Rodgers sustained a season-ending injury.
With the Jets eliminated from contention, the focus now shifts to the potential return of Aaron Rodgers for the final three weeks of the 2023 season.
In October, Cam Newton, a former NFL MVP, discussed what it would take for him to return to the NFL. Newton mentioned that he wouldn’t accept a low-paying contract and emphasized the importance of being in a functional team.
“Going back to control? You not about to sit up there and penny pinch me, bro,” Newton told the “RGIII and The Ones” podcast.
He added:
“I’m not about to sit up here and sign no $5.5 million deal bro, those days are over. I’d be wasting my time. Because I will tell you, if you don’t think that I could be on a roster right now, I could but it’s bigger than that to me. “m I in shape right now? Hell yeah. In any situation, I’m gonna sit up there and Imma analyze it as much as possible. I don’t want to walk into a dysfunctional situation.”
In November, despite not closely following the Jets’ season, Newton criticized the team on his YouTube show.
He acknowledged the team’s defensive success but pointed out issues on the offensive side, expressing surprise at their positive record.
“I guess we going to have to wait and see sh*t,” Newton explained on his ‘4th and 1’ YouTube show.
Cam continued:
“We all want to see that cause, you know, I think the patience is running thin. I ain’t going to lie I ain’t really been paying attention to Jets, but I was hella surprised when I seen them on Monday Night Football and they were four and three. I was like damn. They still in the chase.
“You see what I’m saying? So, you know, shout out to coach Saleh for having these guys really still playing. The defense for the New York Jets is biting and I mean they stinking. Anytime you have 13 takeaways from the defense that’s very impressive, but at the same time you got 13 takeaways on offense.”
Cam Newton, selected first overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft, made a significant impact in his rookie season by setting records for passing and rushing yards by a quarterback.
He earned Offensive Rookie of the Year and became the first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a season.
Newton led the Panthers to multiple playoff appearances and division titles between 2013 and 2017. In 2015, he was named NFL MVP, guiding Carolina to a franchise-best 15–1 record and a Super Bowl 50 appearance.
However, Newton started facing injury struggles in subsequent years. Released after his 10th season, he played for the New England Patriots in 2020 and returned to the Panthers in 2021 but was not re-signed.
On the other hand, Zach Wilson was selected by the Jets as the second overall pick. As of the 2023 regular season, Wilson, serving as the team’s quarterback, has accumulated 2,245 yards (ranking 24th), scored 8 touchdowns (tied for 27th), and thrown 7 interceptions (tied for 76th).
In Week 14, head coach Robert Saleh announced Wilson as the starting quarterback for the Jets’ game against Houston, stating that he believes Wilson provides the team with the best chance to win and is giving him another opportunity to prove himself.
