We’ve gotten to the top 10 of the Chris Simms top 40 quarterback countdown, and the guy at No. 10 is a guy who currently doesn’t have a team.
He’s the first pick in the 2011 draft and the 2015 NFL MVP: Cam Newton.
Yes, Cam Newton. If healthy, he’s a top-10 quarterback. The question is whether he’s healthy, and when/if/how a team will be able to properly come to that conclusion.
It’s more than just the foot injury that caused him to miss 14 games last year. He also had a shoulder injury in 2018 that resulted in surgery and a mid-career change in his throwing motion.
The pandemic has made it very difficult for Newton to land a job, and with most starting spots taken he’ll likely have to wait for someone to get injured. For many teams, it would be impossible to justify keeping him as a backup after the players see what he can do on a practice field -- if, again, he’s healthy.
At some point, Newton will get another chance. And if he’s indeed healthy, whoever gets him will end up being very happy about that. Even if, for now, Newton likely isn’t very happy about being a franchise quarterback without a franchise.
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