Saints’ Cameron Jordan says the AFC has problems now

After news broke that free agent Cam Newton was heading to the New England Patriots, Saints’ Cameron Jordan gave some insight.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan and Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton were the story of the NFC South once upon a time. For almost a decade, the two battled it out on opposite sides of the ball twice per year.

Cam Jordan has seen what Newton looks like at his best and vice versa. They have studied film on each other for hours. They know all the moves, all the tricks, and all the plays that make the other a successful football player.

Two that played against each other at the top of their prime in 2015. Jordan has seen Cam Newton go to a Super Bowl, win an MVP, and go 15-1 in a single season. He knows what kind of player Newton can be when healthy.

That is why when the news broke that Cam Newton had signed with the New England Patriots, Jordan knew there was going to be trouble in the AFC next season. He even went as far as to say he saw it coming.

Since they both came into the NFL in 2011, Cam Jordan and Cam Newton have been squaring off. Some years, Jordan got the better of Newton — for example in 2017, Jordan had 13.0 sacks and Newton threw the most interceptions in his career for a single season.

Other years, Newton got the better of Jordan — for example in 2015, Newton threw for 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns and Jordan barely got to 10.0 sacks on the year. It truly has been a great sports tale for the last decade.

Now, a new chapter for Cam Newton. Signing with the New England Patriots means that Newton will go over to the AFC (a conference he has never played in) to play teams he has barely ever played before.

However, it is no shock to Jordan what Newton can do. He stated in his tweet, “Healthy Newton a PROBLEM.” Take it from the best, when a stellar defensive end tells you that a healthy quarterback is a problem — I’d believe him.

The AFC North has its work cut out for them now. If Cam Newton truly is healthy, the defensive ends in the AFC will have their work cut out for them, just like the Saints’ Jordan said that they would.