It has been a crazy offseason, with many shocking trades and signings, and to add to the anticipation and excitement there are still tons of talented free agents available.
Players like Tyrann Mathieu, Rob Gronkowski, and Stephen Gilmore are some big-name unsigned free agents that a lot of coaches would love to add to their rosters.
But one name that has flown under the radar is quarterback Cam Newton.
The 11-year veteran and 3x Pro Bowler has yet to sign to a team after his reunion with the Carolina Panthers last season. But, according to Newton, he has garnered tons of interest from multiple teams, and even has offers on the table. The former NFL MVP claims he’s “waiting” for a championship opportunity.
“I have teams that are interested in signing me,” Newton told ESPN’s Adam Schefter in a text. “I am waiting on the best fit as it pertains to winning a championship and getting a fair chance to play.”
Newton is extremely optimistic about his chances of getting signed to a contender and being able to participate in the majority of the snaps, playing meaningful football.
Newton’s personal opinion of where he’s at in his career and what he’s capable of accomplishing differs from what most teams in the league feel about him.
The woel reknown Dab master is a shell of his former self, having not thrown for double-digit touchdowns in a season since 2017, and only throwing for over 1,000 yards in a season in one of his past three seasons, which included an unceremonious COVID run with New England.
There are presumably very few teams looking for Cam to be their starter, and Newton has yet to publicly admit to being open to serving a backup QB role.
You can’t knock him for feeling that way. This offseason we’ve seen QBs with inferior résumés, such as Mitch Trubisky, Marcus Mariota, and Tyrod Taylor, sign to teams.
There have been reports that Colin Kaepernick is drawing interest for a return to the league, and Baker Mayfield will probably get first dibs on any remaining starting position. So the longer Cam waits the fewer spots there will be for him in the NFL.
Newton explained that he has offers on the table and that he’s being patient for the best opportunity to come. One of those offers is more than likely Carolina. The general manager for the team, Scott Fitterer is welcoming Cam back with open arms — if he wants to come back.
Fitterer said via ESPN:
“It’s not just us saying, ‘Hey, Cam, come on back…He’s got to want to come back. He’s got to like the role, the situation. It’s really just a fit for both of us.
“The door is open. I’d love to have someone with his leadership, his toughness. He brought so much to his team last year and stabilized us during a really hard time. He’s a really special person. So while Cam is being patient and waiting for the right opportunity, it seems he has a lifeline for him in Charlotte if he cannot come to a deal with another team.”
Though it looks as if Newton’s days in the league are numbered at this point, he is still a former MVP who led his team to a Super Bowl appearance. He was one of the flashiest and most physically imposing quarterbacks in history, as evinced by his all-time record number of career rushing TDs scored from the position.
Regardless of his immediate future, Cam’s been busy podcasting and doing fashion and backing new innovative football leagues like the Brooklyn0based company Overtimes launched, a seven-on-seven football league called OT7.
According to reports, Overtime, which already has an amateur hoops league in Atlanta, said it plans to pay for expenses around the league using a portion of the $80 million it raised in April 2021 from investors, including Jeff Bezos’ investment firm, and global entertainer Drake.
Newton, who is very active in the youth football community, told CNBC he contemplated launching a youth football league but “we felt with the muscle that Overtime possesses, where this society is going with social media platforms, and giving these kids the exposure that they most direly want and need, I think it made the most sense.”
Cam’s influence on the locker room and experience could be a great addition to a team trying to nurture a young QB.
Time To Count Cam Newton Out | It’s Been A Hall of Fame Ride, But It’s Over…Respectfully
Due to that experience, Cam will look to hang around a little while longer, but it just might not be under the circumstances he prefers.
