The biggest mystery of the NFL offseason has been none other than the fact that Cam Newton remains a free agent.
The former NFL MVP remains unemployed despite one of the most decorated resumes of any quarterback in the league. The 31-year-old quarterback is a three-time Pro Bowler and former First-Team All-Pro selection. Furthermore, he's a nine-year starter who has four postseason berths to his name.
However, no NFL teams are showing any imminent interest in the veteran quarterback. As of late, a 35-year-old quarterback coming off of neck surgery (Joe Flacco) was signed by the New York Jets. Yet, Newton doesn't appear to be on any NFL team's radar.
Now we may know the reason why. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, teams are not only concerned with Newton's injury history, they're concerned on how he'll handle a backup role.
“To truly assess Cam Newton’s situation, you’d have to have a complete picture of what he’s asked for and what he’s been offered. And quite honestly, there could be more to this story than I know. But as I’ve mentioned the last couple weeks, I think there are a few things at work here, regardless. One, I have gotten the sense that teams think he’s slipped a little bit, based on his tape. “Not saying he can’t bounce back,” said one GM, “but the decline is evident.”
And that brings us to the second piece, which is how much of that relates to his injuries, and how his injuries will linger (which, again, is hard for teams to get a handle on without having their own doctors get hands on his left foot and right shoulder). Three, starting quarterback and backup quarterback are two different jobs, with different job descriptions.”
As we inch closer to the NFL season in September and with coronavirus restrictions starting to loosen, Newton should land with a team at some point.
However, even considering the inability to personally meet with free agents and the lack of ability for medical clearance due to the pandemic, it's still puzzling that a former NFL MVP at just 31 years of age can't find a job.
We'll see which NFL team takes a chance on the former star player in the coming months.