Cam Newton would have given Jimmy Clausen $100,000 for No. 2 jersey with Carolina Panthers

When Cam Newton joined the Carolina Panthers in 2011, everyone expected the Auburn star to wear the jersey number he wore while on his Heisman campaign – the No. 2 jersey. However, when he hit the field for his rookie season, he wore No. 1 instead. Unfortunately for the former Tigers star, his number was already in the hands of backup QB Jimmy Clausen.

The quarterback duo had discussions over a potential exchange, but after a ridiculously high ask from Clausen, Newton wound up sticking with No. 1. It served him well, but his relationship with Clausen got off to a bumpy start.

Last week, Newton opened up on the ‘Club Shay Shay’ show about how much he was willing to pay his backup quarterback for the jersey number, and the outrageous offer he turned down.

“I would have donated $100,000 to his foundation,” Newton said. “When he hit me with a million… I said, ‘Aight, cool,’ and hung up the phone.”

Clausen made an outrageous ask in exchange for No. 2 jersey

All things considered, Clausen would have been better off taking the $100,000 for charity offer. Initially, Cam Newton was cool to pay for the No. 2 jersey, until the price tag came back from Clausen. Though his future NFL earnings wouldn’t touch Newton’s, the backup QB’s outrageous ask soured the No. 1 overall pick on his new teammate.

“I didn’t even want number one,” Newton said in November. “Man, Jimmy Clausen, we cool now. Jimbo. He said, ‘S---, if you want, you’ve got to pay for it.’”

“I said, ‘Boy, kiss my a--, boy. I said, ‘$1 million, bro?’ I said, ‘People don’t make a million in a lifetime, let alone I’ll give you a million just a f------ number,'” he continued. “So, I thought he was playing. The mother f----- comes back and said, ‘Okay, bro. I talked to my people. We’re gonna do it for $750,000.’ I said, ‘Oh, you’re for real.’

“True story. I hung that phone up and I called the equipment manager and said I’m rocking with number one. I made an oath to myself. That will be the last time Jimmy Clausen will ever be heard of in Carolina.”

In 2011, Newton was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year and in 2015 he won an MVP. As for Clausen, he played a couple more seasons in Carolina as a backup before making stops in Chicago and Baltimore. He played in 21 career games with 14 career starts.