Cam Newton was the best player in football during his 2015 NFL MVP campaign.
Now, the New England Patriots' new quarterback isn't even in the conversation of the NFL's top 10 QBs.
That's according to an ESPN survey of 50 "league executives, coaches, scouts and players" who were asked to submit their top 10 to 15 signal-callers in the NFL right now. Here's the consensus top 10, which includes ex-Patriots QB Tom Brady at No. 7:
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1. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
2. Russell Wilson, Seahawks
3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
4. Deshaun Watson, Texans
5. Drew Brees, Saints
6. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
7. Tom Brady, Buccaneers
8. Carson Wentz, Eagles
9. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
10. Matthew Stafford, Lions
According to ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler, nine other QBs received at least one top-10 vote -- including Jimmy Garoppolo, Sam Darnold, Jared Goff and Derek Carr -- but Newton wasn't among them.
Newton's omission isn't necessarily surprising: The 31-year-old played just two games last season and has undergone shoulder and foot surgeries in the last two years. He hasn't made the Pro Bowl since 2015 and was hampered by injuries and ineffectiveness during his final seasons with the Carolina Panthers, save for a brief resurgence during the 2018 campaign.
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Those injury concerns are why the Patriots were able to sign Newton on a paltry base contract after he went unclaimed for three months in free agency.
But even if that's all true, Newton can still add this ranking to his bulletin board. The nine-year veteran already seems to determined to silence his critics in 2020, and that fact that his NFL contemporaries don't view him as "elite" should only add to the chip on his shoulder.