Former Carolina Panthers star quarterback Cam Newton is perhaps the most well-known and highest-profile free agents on the market at the moment, and the New England Patriots do not have a clear No. 1 option at the position as we speak. So could a union between the two parties be inevitable? Ex-Patriots safety Rodney Harrison seems to think so.

Per Harrison on The Rich Eisen Show, via Nick Goss in NBC Sports Boston and Yahoo Sports:

“Because nobody knows, Rich, nobody knows what's going on with Cam as far as, can you depend on him with his health … and at this point in time you can't invest a lot of money because he's been so beat up … I think the best thing for him to do is go into a situation, maybe go become a backup quarterback, learn, get healthy, and then if he gets his opportunity, go out there and shine. But I don't think he's going to be a starting quarterback this year in the National Football League.”

Newton saw his last season with the Panthers torn to shreds due to a foot injury, which prevented him from competing for most of his ninth season in the NFL and saw him appear in only the first two games of the year. Former undrafted quarterback Kyle Allen had to take over for the Panthers under center, with middling success.

The Panthers released their former first-overall selection of the 2011 NFL Draft in March 2020, setting off the ripples of speculation with where the 31-year-old ex-MVP gunslinger could sign. The Chicago Bears and Patriots were among the top landing spots mentioned in the same breath as Newton's once-illustrious name.

According to Harrison, a two-time Super Bowl champion safety with the Patriots, the Foxborough franchise would be foolish not to take a flyer on a healthy Newton after losing future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency this past spring.