Cam Newton piles on Jared Goff as he names a bunch of quarterbacks 'game managers'

Amid his recent struggles, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is well worthy of questions and criticism based on how he's playing. Even if he wants everyone to ignore it as a concern. But on the whole over the past couple seasons, he has been fine and at times very good.

Former NFL MVP Cam Newton is not in the league anymore, and now nearly two years out of the game he is unofficially retired. So naturally, he has a podcast, called "4th and 1" to offer his thoughts on things.

On a recent episode of said podcast, now nearly a week old but just recently discovered (which may say it all about the current reach of the podcast), Newton mostly started in on 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, but expanded to a list of four quarterbacks who he called "game managers".

"Brock [Purdy], they aren’t winning because of him,” Newton said. “He’s managing the game, and if we were to put that in its own right as game managers, Brock Purdy, Tua Tagovailoa, Jared Goff and really, Dak Prescott. These are game managers. They aren’t difference makers.”

“If we’re really going to call a spade a spade, there’s a difference between managers of the game and difference-makers of a game. That’s not to say they can’t win the MVP, but it just is what it is.”

Cam Newton calls Jared Goff and other quarterbacks "game managers"

It's a spicy take to call Purdy, Prescott, Tagovailoa and Goff "game managers", which is surely the point. They are also the quarterbacks of first-place teams right now.

Wednesday morning's edition of ESPN's "Get Up" spent significant time criticizing Newton, for his quarterback takes and the interesting outfit (shocking, I know) he was wearing while offering them.

All quarterbacks are asked to "manage the game" to some degree. It means avoiding turnovers, and generally making good decisions.

Goff is certainly a quarterback who needs ideal structure around him to function anywhere close to his best. He will not overcome shortcomings around him with off-structure play. He also carried a near NFL-record streak of pass attempts without an interception into this season, right in line with the Lions going 8-2 over their last 10 games last year and starting this year 5-1. His struggles with turnovers lately have directly correlated to the Lions' struggling to win games.

The tentative MVP talk that was around Goff several weeks ago has gone away, probably never to return. But calling him, (and Prescott, Purdy, and Tagovailoa) a "game manager" in a negative way is best kept in perspective as one thing-an attempt by Newton to get attention. Which he eventually did.