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The New Orleans Saints lost starting quarterback Jameis Winston to a season-ending knee injury, which opened the door for another passer to step in. And at first glance the most obvious addition might be free agent quarterback Cam Newton — someone Sean Payton knows well from Newton’s years with the division-rival Carolina Panthers, who could step in and play right away.
But it doesn’t sound like that’s in the cards. USA Today’s Josina Anderson reported Monday that the Saints will not pursue Newton, which was also reported by NBC Sports’ Mike Florio. Whether it’s because Newton’s contract requirements wouldn’t fit in New Orleans’ books or the Saints simply aren’t interested, he doesn’t appear to be an option.
That’s disappointing if it’s the case. The Saints don’t have anyone on the roster with Newton’s ability or resume. There’s an argument to be made that he could struggle to pick up the playbook in such a short time before next week’s kickoff with the Atlanta Falcons, but it just feels like a very unserious move to trust some combination of Trevor Siemian, Taysom Hill, and maybe Ian Book to guide this team to the playoffs.
But hey, we’ll see how it goes. And unless another starting job opens up elsewhere around the NFL, Newton could be watching from home like the rest of us.
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