NFL Rumors: 'No Real Demand' for Cam Newton, Jameis Winston, Free-Agent QBs

It seems as if Cam Newton and Jameis Winston will be free agents for the foreseeable future.

On Wednesday's episode of SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeff Darlington said, "There's no real demand for quarterbacks right now" when asked about the two former No. 1 picks.

He clarified Newton isn't drawing much interest because he will command a significant deal, while teams want to sit down with Winston because of character concerns but cannot at the moment because of travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

NBC Sports' Peter King reported March 23 that the two quarterbacks may be "teamless … for a while."

It is fair to worry about Newton's health, especially since he turns 31 years old in May. He played just two games last season because of a foot injury and underwent surgery on his foot in December, although he has posted pictures and videos of himself working out on social media this offseason.

He isn't far removed from his excellent 2015 campaign when he won the league MVP and led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl. However, it seems teams are not interested in paying the three-time Pro Bowler a significant amount of money.

As for Winston, he led the league with 5,109 passing yards and tossed 33 touchdowns last season, but he also threw a head-turning 30 interceptions.

Turnovers have always been a concern, as he has at least 14 picks in four of his five years in the league since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him No. 1 overall in 2015.

Darlington also mentioned the off-field concerns. As Jenna Laine of ESPN detailed in a June 2018 report, the quarterback was suspended for three games during the 2018 campaign following an NFL investigation into allegations he "inappropriately touched a female Uber driver in March 2016."

He also faced sexual assault allegations during his time at Florida State, although charges were never filed. "Winston was disciplined in a separate incident, in September 2014, for standing on a table inside the university's student union, shouting a sexually explicit internet meme," Laine wrote.