Cam Newton admits he could be permanently benched if play doesn't improve: 'I get it loud and clear'

Cam Newton's dream season with the New England Patriots has quickly become a nightmare, as he was benched for most of the second half of the team's humiliating loss to the San Francisco 49ers. And the quarterback acknowledged that if he does not improve quickly, he could permanently find himself watching games from the sideline.

"The first thing I said to myself coming home was, 'You keep playing games like that, bro, and it's going to be a permanent change,'" Newton said Monday morning on Boston sports radio WEEI. "You don't need to tell me that for me to understand that. I get it loud and clear."

It's hard to argue with Newton at this point, as his passer rating has dropped with each game he's played this season, starting at 100.7 against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 before dropping to 39.7 in this week's loss. While it seemed like he was in a position to re-establish himself as a dominant force in the league, it's looking more like he may have been underestimated early on and now teams are adjusting and shutting Newton down.

Fortunately for Newton, the rest of the Patriots' depth chart at quarterback has looked awful during their limited time on the field. Brian Hoyer threw for just 130 yards in the team's loss to the Chiefs and turned the ball over twice, while Stidham actually had a lower rating (39.2) than Newton during the 49ers game. Still, if he wants to stay on the field past this season, Newton is going to need to step up his game.