Cam Newton Says He Got COVID Vaccine, Has Received Contract Offers and Wants to Play

Free-agent quarterback Cam Newton confirmed he has received the COVID-19 vaccine and is looking forward to making a return to the NFL.

"I'm just waiting on the right opportunity," the veteran quarterback said (around the 6:20 mark) in the latest episode of his Funky Fridays video series. "You're probably asking yourself, 'Don't nobody want Cam.' That's a lie. I've been getting offers."

The New England Patriots released Newton ahead of the regular season, paving the way for Mac Jones to be their starting quarterback.

Head coach Bill Belichick denied Newton's vaccination status played any role in the decision, but the three-time Pro Bowler had to miss a few practices because of the NFL's COVID-19 protocols.

Addressing the situation on his YouTube channel (via the Washington Post's Matt Bonesteel), Newton said he thought the Patriots would've let him go regardless of those missed practices but that his brief absence did "help ease the decision."

He also claimed New England moved on from him "because indirectly I was going to be a distraction, without being the starter."

Newton's only season with the Pats was a mixed bag. He threw for 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions and ran for 592 yards and 12 scores.

The 32-year-old later said getting diagnosed with COVID-19 was a demarcation point for his 2020 campaign, since it put him behind the eightball in terms of finding a comfort zone in New England.

Newton seemed to perform well enough to at least earn another shot in the league and work his way back toward a starting job. Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston are two recent examples of quarterbacks who parlayed their time as a backup into an opportunity to run an offense again.

As the 2015 MVP said, identifying the right fit will be pivotal in charting his NFL course from here.