Did Cam Newton suggest he's not long for Patriots in Instagram post?

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Cam Newton is on a mission this year. But once that mission is completed, he may not hang around much longer.

The 31-year-old quarterback, who's on a one-year bargain contract with the New England Patriots, seemed to suggest as much Tuesday night in an Instagram post of himself in a Patriots jersey.

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Here's the post, with the text translated below in case you don't feel like reading Wingdings:

"They say, ‘Yo BOOGIE, you lookin’ real rough!! You didn’t know you were taking pics today?’ I simply reply, ‘I been grinding!!'

"They say, Yo BOOGIE, why you not smiling in none of your pics; you not happy?' I simply reply, ‘I’m not here to play games, crack jokes, ETC..... YOU KNOW WHAT I'M HERE FOR!!'

“ 'I ain’t here for a long time. I’m here for a good time' - George Strait"

That last line is particularly notable. Sure, he's just quoting George Strait's "Here for a Good Time," and there's a danger in over-analyzing song lyrics.

But this is the first time Newton has acknowledged (if implicitly) his current situation: 31 other teams passed on him for four months in free agency due to concerns about foot and shoulder injuries that kept him out of 16 games over the last two seasons.

If the three-time Pro Bowler has a bounce-back season with the Patriots and proves he's still an elite QB, he'll want to be paid like one in 2021 free agency. Perhaps he's aware New England isn't likely to meet his financial demands, especially with second-year QB Jarrett Stidham waiting in the wings.

Newton and the Patriots was the perfect marriage of QB and club that needed each other in 2020. But that marriage may not last into 2021, a reality that seemingly isn't lost on Newton.

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