The Carolina Panthers parted ways with superstar quarterback Cam Newton earlier this offseason, while the Washington Redskins hired his former head coach, Ron Rivera. When the Panthers released the passer, the expectation by many was that Newton would not last long on the market.

Yet here we are, after the 2020 NFL Draft, and the quarterback is still available. And the only thing that's happened is that his market has gotten even smaller, as some teams addressed the position in the draft.

Because of the Rivera connection, Washington has been marginally linked to the Newton. Rivera shared his thoughts on signing the signal caller on Thursday's edition of NFL Network's Good Morning Football:

“You know, the thing about Cam really is the situation …We're in a situation where we've got two really young quarterbacks, one that's been with us, been in the system, understands how we want things done and the other one is a guy who was taken last year in the first round and shows some promise.

I think with Cam, and I have thought about it, I mean, it's something that's run through my mind, and it's about the situation and circumstances. I'm not sure I would do it. I'm not sure if I wouldn't do it. It depends on circumstances.”

The Redskins already have Dwayne Haskins. The 22-year-old had an up-and-down rookie season in 2019, but it ended on a high note where his on-field performance was concerned.

Due to that, Washington should be feeling good about Haskins. And it's clear that they need to give their 2019 first-round pick a serious look before making any moves.

But, of course, there is a very clear connection between Newton and the Redskins, because of Rivera.

Rivera was the Panthers head coach for basically Newton's entire time there, barring the last few games of 2019, but Newton wasn't playing due to injury. And the coach has not been shy about bringing in players and coaches that he's worked with before.

He's already brought in Newton's former backup, Kyle Allen, to serve in that role for Haskins. So the speculation was certain to arise that Newton could reunite with his old coach as well.

No team has signed Newton yet. That means the market isn't as hot for the quarterback as it was expected to be, or probably how hot it should be. However, it also means that any team can still sign him.

With that in mind, Washington cannot be ruled out as his destination. It seems unlikely due to their current situation, but at this point anything can happen. Apparently it all comes down to “circumstances.”