Cam Newton Rumors: NFL Teams' 'Current Issue' with QB Is Injury History, Throwing

The apparent lack of interest from teams in Cam Newton right now is reportedly related to his recent on-field performance. 

A source with extensive experience evaluating NFL personnel told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that teams are concerned with Newton's recent injury history and have "a belief that he’s not throwing the ball very well."

The Patriots surprised many Tuesday when they included Newton among the players who were released to get their roster down to 53. 

Things have been mostly quiet around Newton in the five days since his release. The Dallas Cowboys were mentioned as a potential landing spot given Dak Prescott's shoulder injury, but head coach Mike McCarthy seemed to dismiss the idea. 

“I think he has a ton of football left," McCarthy told reporters Thursday. "But we’re very excited about the group that we have."

There was speculation Newton's vaccination status may have influenced the decision. He had to stay away from the team for five days from Aug. 21-25 due to a misunderstanding about COVID-19 tests conducted outside NFL facilities. 

The Patriots said in a statement that Newton received permission to attend a medical appointment that required him to leave the New England area, and he "received daily Covid tests, which were all negative."

Head coach Bill Belichick denied that Newton's vaccination status played a role in his release during a Wednesday press conference:  

"No, I mean, look, you guys keep talking about that, and I would just point—I don't know what the number is, you guys can look it up, you guys have access to a lot of information—but the number of players and coaches and staff members that have been affected by COVID in this training camp who have been vaccinated is a pretty high number, so I wouldn't lose sight of that."

Newton missed the final two games of the 2018 season for the Carolina Panthers with a shoulder injury that required surgery during the offseason. He started the first two games in 2019, but a Lisfranc injury sidelined him for the rest of the year. 

The Patriots signed Newton to a one-year deal as a free agent in July 2020. The three-time Pro Bowler started 15 games last season, throwing for 2,657 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

Newton re-signed with New England in March, but the team also selected Mac Jones with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft to create competition in the quarterback room. 

Jones ultimately won the job after a strong preseason. The Alabama alum went 36-of-52 with one touchdown and no interceptions in three games. 

Newton is only 32 and has been a successful starting quarterback over the course of his NFL career, but it's been three years since he played at a consistently high level. He's got the kind of high-upside talent that can help someone.

It's just a matter of finding a team with a need at quarterback that wants to see if Newton can return to his Pro Bowl form.