2020 wasn’t good to pretty much anyone, but it was particularly cruel to Cam Newton. After the former MVP sat in free agency for most of last off-season, he eventually came to an agreement to fill the Patriots’ vacant starting quarterback position on a cheap one-year, $1.75 million deal. It was his chance to prove to the rest of the league who had cast him aside that he’s more than capable of leading a team.
Instead, it was a disaster. The 31-year-old began the season with a win, then followed it up with a 397-yard outing in a tight loss to Seattle before everything fell apart. Newton got COVID-19 after just three weeks, and after returning he was never the same. He stumbled to a 7-8 record, throwing just eight touchdowns against 10 interceptions, and completing just 65.7% of passes for 2,657 yards. It was hardly a glowing audition for the rest of the league.
Still, according to The Boston Globe, Bill Belichick has given rave reviews of Newton to just about anyone who would ask over the off-season despite his struggles with arm strength, decision-making and accuracy. So, it’s definitely possible someone out there, if it doesn’t come with the Patriots, decides to take another chance on Newton as a backup, if not a starter. With all the quarterbacks leaving teams this winter, there should be plenty of teams in the mix for a new signal-caller, too.
So, with that, where will Newton end up? Who should take a shot on him? Let’s go through some potential landing spots for Cam.
New England Patriots
We’ll start with the most likely landing spot. While Cam wasn’t great, there’s always value in retaining a quarterback who knows your system. New England will certainly be addressing its QB situation this off-season and will probably be taking one in the first round in this spring’s draft.
Jarrett Stidham hasn’t proven that he’s any better than Newton, so if Cam doesn’t have a spot as the team’s starter next year, he’d be a very serviceable backup. And, he allows you a chance to let your rookie develop from the bench should you choose to go that direction.
Washington Football Team
It came out on Monday that the Football Team won’t be bringing back Alex Smith, so that leaves Taylor Heinicke as the lone man under center this season for Washington. Another quarterback will be needed here, and Newton could come in and compete for the starting job.
There’s a lot of competition out there — Marcus Mariota comes to mind — but this is probably one of the only spots Cam could walk in and start right away. Washington doesn’t have a high pick, so it will be looking squarely at free agency.
Denver Broncos
Denver doesn’t seem all too pleased or committed to Drew Lock, and they were very much in the mix early on as one of the destinations for Deshaun Watson. Another team that won’t be in a spot to draft a quarterback, the Broncos could bring in Newton to push Lock to new heights, or simply replace him as the team continues to rebuild. Cam could both give them a chance to make the playoffs and also help bide time until Denver’s ready to pounce on a QB in an elite draft for the position.
New Orleans Saints
No one’s talking about the Saints with any of these quarterbacks looking for homes with either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill likely taking over at QB, but we know that neither one is an excellent option, and we also know that the Saints are willing to try just about anything personnel-wise. Newton’s not going to cost anything, which will be the biggest factor here with the Saints riddled with salary cap issues, and he could fill the Taysom Hill role should New Orleans decide to promote him to full-time starter.
Chicago Bears
Mitch Trubisky’s time appears to be coming to an end in Chicago, and with such a great defense and talented players at skill positions, this team is reminiscent of the one Newton quarterbacked to the Super Bowl years ago. He would have a great chance to win here, though this is another team that could be drafting a quarterback this April. Still, he could win the starting job.
San Francisco 49ers
The contracts of C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens are expiring, and with Jimmy Garoppolo struggling last year, this entire position group is up in the air right now. Adding Newton would reinvigorate the quarterback room, pushing Garoppolo to be better, and Cam could even potentially grab hold of the starting role and lead this talented team on a playoff run.
