Who will Newton wind up playing for next season?
Cam Newton was released by the Panthers on Tuesday. He passed a physical the day before, so we now know that his throwing shoulder and foot should be fine for the 2020 season. It’s only a matter of time before a team decides to roll the dice and sign him.
Who will Newton wind up playing for next season? According to Odds Shark, the Redskins have the best odds, followed by the Broncos and the Patriots. Here’s a look at the nine teams they think have the best chance.
Only about half of them make any sense, though. Let’s break down the quarterback situation one by one, starting at the bottom.
Bengals: Cincinnati holds the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. They are expected to use it on LSU’s Joe Burrow, who just won the Heisman with the help of Carolina’s offensive coordinator Joe Brady. It would be absolute lunacy for them to pick anybody but Burrow or Tua Tagovailoa. You can go ahead and scratch this team off this list.
Steelers: Pittsburgh had a rough time at QB last season, but that was mostly due to an elbow injury for Ben Roethlisberger. While it’s clear he doesn’t have a whole lot of time left, the plan for now seems to be to stick with Big Ben as the starter. It would be extremely surprising if they went with anybody else in 2020.
Raiders: Derek Carr is unlikely to ever become an elite quarterback at this level. However, they just splurged on a backup option by signing Marcus Mariota to a two-year, $17.6 million contract. Signing another veteran this offseason is most likely not in the cards, especially since Newton is probably going to command more.
Jaguars: Jacksonville just traded Nick Foles to the Bears in exchange for a fourth-round pick. The reason? They believe they already have a more capable franchise QB for the future in Gardner Minshew, who showed a ton of promise as a rookie. Signing a player like Newton would only get in his way. The Jags won’t be in the market for Cam.
Chargers: Now we’re talking. With Philip Rivers gone to the Colts, right now LA’s projected starter is Tyrod Taylor. While he is one of the better backups in the league, he’s not cut out to start 16 games. Newton would be a serious upgrade for a team that has the pieces to compete, even in a very tough division.
Dolphins: If they didn’t hold the No. 3. pick in the draft, Newton might be an option. However, if a team is in position to get a new long-term starter on a rookie contract, signing any veteran is unlikely. Obviously anything can happen, but we’re expecting Miami to pick Tagovailoa.
Broncos: This is an interesting possibility. It mostly depends on how Denver feels about Drew Lock and what his ceiling is. He showed potential down the stretch after Joe Flacco was benched. However, he’s still raw and Pro Football Focus gave him a grade even lower than Flacco. John Elway should at least consider Newton, but our gut says he will stick with Lock.
Patriots: If you can’t beat him, sign him. That may be the idea for Bill Belichick, who is 0-2 against Newton in his career and is on record gushing about his skillset. Right now, New England’s best option on the roster is Brian Hoyer, who is a career backup. If we were to place a bet on any team signing Newton, it would be this one.
Redskins: Newton’s connection with Ron Rivera is significant. There are a lot of factors to consider, though. This team just used a first-round pick on Dwayne Haskins last year and they have the No. 2 pick this year, so they have the assets to go in a different direction.
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