With Saints quarterback Jameis Winston likely lost for the year, one of the key ingredients for a landing spot for Cam Newton has fallen into place. Since the chances of Newton joining a new team as a backup are low, he’d need to sign as the replacement to an injured starter.
But the team that has an injured starter has to want him. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Saints will not be contacting Cam Newton about joining the team.
That’s a telling snub. The Saints dealt with Newton for most of a decade. Coach Sean Payton knows what he can do, what he can’t do. And if Payton isn’t interested, that says something.
The Saints apparently will stick with who they have. The question is whether Taysom Hill, who is expected to be cleared to return after a Week Five concussion, will be the starter or the jack-of-all-trades option with Trevor Siemian serving as the No. 1 option.
As for Newton, eight weeks have unfolded with only one phone call, from the Seahawks. As teams enter the final stages of the season, the question becomes whether (if a starter is injured) the team will prefer to elevate the backup who knows the offense over bringing in a stranger to the team.