Former NFL MVP quarterback Cam Newton participates in ESPN's “First Take.”

Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton signed a contract with ESPN on Thursday, as the former MVP will serve primarily as a commentator on ESPN's morning show “First Take” alongside Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim.

“The addition of Cam Newton to 'First Take' provides an electrifying presence and expands our roster of high-profile personalities,” said David Roberts, executive vice president at ESPN, in a statement Thursday. “His dynamic charisma, combined with high-profile debates alongside Stephen A. Smith, will create compelling, must-see television for fans.”

Newton's first appearance will be Friday at Tennessee State University as part of the show's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) roadshow. The show airs weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET.

What it means for fans

Win the press release.

That's the philosophy of the network executives tasked with staffing national debate shows, whether in sports or politics. When using someone to interact with your regular cast, you want someone who is immediately familiar to viewers while also being provocative.

Newton offers both. He has been famous for many years, first as an All-America at Auburn and then for his long career as a transformative NFL quarterback. He also has a lot of media exposure, including being a podcast host.

He will undoubtedly be part of segments that will go viral. Some of these segments will outrage you. Some will delight you. And so the enjoyment of the content continues. These part-time hires for shows like First Take are rounding errors for Disney when it comes to salary. So it's a delay for management if they believe that a personality can stimulate the debate. — Richard Deitsch, senior media reporter

Required reading

(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today Sports)