Video: Cam Newton Says He Wouldn't Trade His NFL MVP Award for Super Bowl Victory
January 30, 2025
Even though most NFL players would consider a Super Bowl to be the ultimate prize in the sport, it doesn't mean all of them would give up their individual achievements if it meant they could hold the Lombardi Trophy.
One example is Cam Newton, who said on Thursday's episode of First Take that he would not give up his 2015 MVP award if it meant winning a Super Bowl.
There is no right or wrong answer in this situation because both the MVP award and Super Bowl trophy can represent the pinnacle of the sport.
The MVP signifies that you were the most important and impactful player across the entire NFL in any given season. It will almost always indicate the player led their team to a division title, or at least a playoff berth.
The Lombardi Trophy is the pinnacle of an entire organization's effort to build a roster, coaching staff and front office that stands above the other 31 teams to be the standard-bearer in the NFL.
Since the Associated Press MVP was introduced in 1957, a total of 49 players have won the award. There have been 20 different Super Bowl winners since the game was introduced during the 1966 season.
Newton was one win away from joining a group of 11 players in NFL history who have won the MVP and Super Bowl in the same season. He won the award in 2015 after throwing for 3,837 yards, running for 636 yards and accounting for 45 touchdowns to lead the Carolina Panthers to a 15-1 record in the regular season.
The Panthers cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs with victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals to earn a spot in the Super Bowl.
Carolina ran into the buzzsaw that was the Denver Broncos defense in a 24-10 loss. The Panthers scored a season low in points and committed four turnovers, including three from Newton (two fumbles, one interception).
Newton had good seasons before and after that 2015 campaign, but he never reached those heights in the NFL again. His response may have been different if the Panthers had won a Super Bowl because it would be an experience he felt, like winning MVP, as opposed to a hypothetical question.