Will he or won’t he play has been the story of Cam Newton‘s 2021 season?
After the New England Patriots cut Newton, many wondered if Newton’s NFL career was history.
There have been quarterback injuries in 2021.
Russell Wilson is out in Seattle, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is out in Washington.
Still, Cam remains a free agent and former MVP who is available for NFL teams to sign.
The thought was that Cam was being overlooked because he was apparently not vaccinated.
He suffered from COVID-19 during the 2020 season and had to stay away from the Patriots for a period of time in 2021 because of a lapse in testing.
If anyone questioned whether Cam still wanted to play, he or she should consider the latest reporting from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
Cam is now reportedly fully vaccinated.
An important change: Cam is now vaccinated. https://t.co/oCVwk5JJk3
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 16, 2021
He is definitely committed to playing.
Considering the fact that he called it a personal decision that he did not want to address back in early August, this is a huge shift.
Cam Newton on if he is vaccinated: "It's too personal to discuss it. I'll just keep it at that." pic.twitter.com/0ExgpxaqhQ
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) August 5, 2021
What Does It Mean?
It certainly means that Cam is committed to continuing his NFL career.
He wants to be signed by a team sooner rather than later.
By getting vaccinated, he has removed one of the key arguments against signing him.
His vaccination status has also eliminated any delays; he could join a team immediately.
There would be no waiting period.
People are already speculating on where Cam could land now that this news has broken.
Seahawks vs Steelers tomorrow night is the Cam Newton Bowl. Whoever loses should sign Cam. He would invigorate the Steelers run game and he can't possibly be worse as a passer than Roethlisberger at this point. https://t.co/Gaoo9CirzD
— Joshua Sebold (@JoshuaSebold) October 16, 2021
Cam is only 32 years old so he certainly has time on his side and could play at a high level for more than one season.
It will be interesting to watch what happens now that this news is out.
Could teams be ready to sign him now or wait to see if he is a necessary roster addition when the playoff picture becomes clearer?
Time will tell.
NEXT: Could Pete Carroll Be On The Hot Seat?
