In his recent YouTube remarks, Cam Newton said his phone didn’t ring after his participation in the Auburn Pro Day workout. Newton’s phone likely won’t ring based on his recent YouTube remarks.
Newton has a list of teams with which he’s willing to be a backup. It’s a list that doesn’t make much sense, given the players included (Malik Willis and Sam Howell) and omitted (Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow).
It seems Newton is wrestling with the realization that, if he wants to get back into the NFL, he needs to take whatever he gets. Potential backup quarterbacks don’t publish a list of terms and conditions. They go wherever the interest is. And if there happen to be multiple teams with interest, they pick one.
For Newton, there’s nothing to pick. No one wants him. And while it’s debatable whether he’s still good enough to start (he thinks he is; 32 NFL teams do not), he’s definitely good enough to be on a depth chart.
But it needs to be the right one, for the team and for him. The two that seem to make the most sense are the Bills and Chiefs.
In Buffalo, Newton would bring a skillset that better meshes with Josh Allen. Newton’s mobility would allow one playbook for both quarterbacks, instead of plays for Allen and plays for the understudy who lacks Allen’s mobility.
In Kansas City, Newton would get a chance to work with quarterback wizard Andy Reid, and possibly to run one of the best offenses in football, if Patrick Mahomes gets injured. They’ve made it work with guys like Chad Henne and Matt Moore. They could definitely make it work with Newton.
Even though it would be a major step down from where Newton was in his prime, backup-quarterback money isn’t bad. But few former franchise quarterbacks are willing to accept a new reality as someone other than the guy.
Plenty of franchise quarterbacks just won’t do it, checking out in lieu of holding a clipboard. One of the rare exceptions is Joe Flacco, who continued to find work after his days as a starter ended -- in part because he wasn’t repeatedly telling the world he thinks he still deserves to be a starter.
