Let’s talk Quinn Ewers, the mullet legend turned NFL rookie. Did he make a mistake joining the pro league? We already know he was making bank in Austin. Then he took a financial hit becoming a seventh-round pick for the Miami Dolphins. We’re talking No. 231 overall. From NIL king to a draft afterthought. And while the bulk of the crowd viewed this transition as a stupid decision, a former Heisman winner and first overall pick dropped an honest take on the whole thing.
Cam Newton isn’t sugarcoating it. When he talks, he talks. On the new episode on 4th&1 With Cam Newton on May 3, the former MVP put it bluntly — “I don’t think Quinn Ewers could stay.” Well, Quinn Ewers technically had another year of eligibility and the door was open for a return. And even if he had to make way for Arch Manning at Texas, he could’ve pulled a Carson Beck in the transfer portal. “But I don’t think it was in his best interest to stay,” Newton added. “I think his time was that hourglass had no sand at the top.” And that $8M NIL valuation that everyone’s talking about? “The NIL money will never compare to what the NFL money is,” he continued. “And that $8 million is only a projection. There’s no contracts that we can show to date that says that these people who are projected to have $10M NIL evaluation. It’s just an evaluation. So let’s not get so caught up.” Cold truth but true.
Let’s break it down. Quinn Ewers allegedly turned down lucrative college NIL deals including an $8M deal from Notre Dame. But after his slide in the draft, his actual NFL contract is expected to total around $4.3M over four years. First year payout? Just $800K approx. That’s a $7.2M swing. But is it really a loss? “I’ve said it time and time again, the NIL was just a tool for athletes in college to have a comfortable college experience. This is not forever money,” added Cam Newton, who signed a $22M deal over 4-years with the Carolina Panthers in 2011.
And here’s where he pivots into the long game. “The real generational money comes in your second NFL contract,” the pro said. “Make it to your second, earn the right to make it to your second contract. And that’s not going to be given to you. You have to be able to show and prove that ‘yo I’m a perennial pro bowler, I’m a perennial All-Pro, hey I’m the franchise player’… Earn the right to make it to your next contract and that’s where you can have the real comfort.” Cam Newton signed his second NFL contract with the New England Patriots in 2020. A one-year deal of $7.5 million, better than the first if it were to be a multi-year deal. That’s coming from a pro player. Now let’s see what an analyst thinks about his financial situation.
Why the hate around Quinn Ewers’ financial drama is misguided
Just a week ago, national analyst Josh Pate jumped into the conversation around Quinn Ewers’ money situation. He locked on to the topic fans can’t stop debating — “Is Quinn Ewers declaring for the draft one of the biggest mistakes we have seen in recent CFB History?” Of course, it’s a stupid decision for anyone who’s chasing the bag but for the former Longhorn? Not really. Not if you understand why he really left.
“It’s only stupid if he has typical priorities but he doesn’t,” Josh Pate said on his show. “He’s tired of being a college football player. He wanted to go play professional football. So if that’s your priority and your family is extremely well off financially anyway… It’s never been a situation of financial necessity that he maximizes his earnings right now.” And that’s what most people overlook. Not everyone is trying to milk every NIL dollar. Quinn Ewers came from money so this wasn’t about survival. It’s about moving on, chasing the league dream, and betting on himself.
So yeah, optics might look bad. But the story is far from over. If Quinn Ewers grinds, adapts, and earns that second contract, we’ll look back on this moment as the start, not the stumble.
The post Former Heisman Winner Goes Off on Quinn Ewers’ Draft Dip With Blunt NIL Reality Check appeared first on EssentiallySports.