Cam Newton, former NFL MVP and longtime Panthers quarterback, is attributing the San Francisco 49ers’ loss in Super Bowl 58 to head coach Kyle Shanahan’s decisions rather than solely placing blame on quarterback Brock Purdy, whom he has criticized previously.
During the latest episode of his “4th & 1” podcast, Newton highlighted Shanahan’s coaching choices, particularly the decision to prioritize a field goal over a potential touchdown, as a key factor in the 25-22 defeat.
Newton emphasized that the responsibility for such decisions falls on coaching rather than solely on Purdy, who he acknowledged played well enough for his team to win. He cited commentary from analyst Tony Romo, who pointed out the advantage of receiving the ball first in overtime, giving a team four downs instead of three to score.
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“Field goal versus touchdown, that’s not Brock Purdy,” Newton said. “Why the [expletive] did they receive the ball first? It was Tony Romo who mentioned this — when you know what you have to get, now you have four downs to get it, not three.”
“The 49ers, they were just trying to get points. And that is not Brock Purdy’s fault, that’s bad coaching,” Cam continued. “There was too many people who was exposed. They didn’t know the real rules of overtime.”
The former Pro Bowler also pointed to postgame interviews with veteran 49ers players Arik Armstead and Kyle Juszczyk, who admitted to being unaware of the rule changes for playoff overtime. Their lack of understanding further underscored the coaching oversight in preparing the team for crucial situations.
Shanahan has faced criticism for another Super Bowl collapse, adding pressure to the players and coaching staff as they head into what promises to be a challenging offseason in San Francisco.
