Account
Cam Newton Reportedly 'Willing to Be Patient' to Show NFL Teams He's Healthy
May 10, 2020
As the wait for Cam Newton to sign with a team continues, the 2015 NFL MVP is reportedly in no rush to make a decision.
Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on SportsCenter, Newton is "willing to be patient" so he can prove to teams he's fully healthy before signing a contract:
"There's really been minimal buzz league-wide about where he ends up. He's got the foot injury and I'm told, 'Look, he's willing to be patient and just wait a little bit.' He is healthy, but he wants to show teams that he's healthy. He might need to meet with them at some point later in the summer to show that. And one league exec pointed this out, that Cam Newton's a starter in this league, former MVP. It's not like when you sign Andy Dalton or Joe Flacco you know you're getting a backup at this point. So it could be all or nothing with Cam, and that's a problem because there's just no starter jobs available right now. And New England seems happy with Jarrett Stidham, so Newton continues to wait."
Newton has been a free agent since being released by the Carolina Panthers on March 24.
Panthers general manager Marty Hurney told reporters the team explored trade options for Newton, but "it didn’t seem like we were going to be able to make a trade in the near future and we thought that it was in the best interest for everybody to release him.”
One potential complicating factor for Newton right now is his recovery from December surgery on his left foot to repair a Lisfranc injury. Teams are unable to conduct physicals with their own medical staff right now due to social distancing restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Athletic's Michael Lombardi noted that at this point in the offseason most teams have "what they believe is a better option" at quarterback.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the three-time Pro Bowler is open to being a backup in the right situation, but his intention is to be a starter.
Newton could wait things out through the preseason to see if an injury occurs that opens up a starting job.
In nine NFL seasons, Newton has thrown for 29,041 yards, 182 touchdowns, 108 interceptions and completed 59.6 percent of his passes.