Tuesday, August 31 is the day when NFL teams have to cut down from 80 players to the 53-man roster.
There are usually some surprises on this day.
However, very few believed the New England Patriots would be so bold and brash with one of their player cuts.
I am floored by the Cam Newton news. I thought it was likely the Patriots would start him, but with a short leash. Worst-case, he would be the backup. Never thought they would flat-out release him.
— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) August 31, 2021
The Patriots cut veteran quarterback Cam Newton.
Newton was the quarterback in 2020 under a one-year contract.
The Patriots re-signed him to another one-year deal during the offseason.
Rookie Mac Jones has been named the starting quarterback.
Since former NFL MVP Newton, 32, is currently unemployed, here are a couple of teams who should be calling his agent.
Spoiler alert: both are in the Lone Star State.
2. Houston Texans
The #Texans are not expected to trade QB Deshaun Watson before today’s 4 pm cut down day deadline, sources tell me and @TomPelissero. Barring a dramatic turn, Houston is now positioned to keep him into the regular season — at least.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2021
This Deshaun Watson situation is a mess.
If the Houston Texans cannot or will not trade him, perhaps it is worth their while to sign Newton for the 2021 season as an insurance policy for whatever may happen with Watson.
1. Dallas Cowboys
It is widely known that the Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback situation is not good.
Cooper Rush was the best of the bunch, but he is not a solid or experienced backup like Andy Dalton was for the Cowboys in 2020.
Jerry Jones says on @1053thefan that Cooper Rush’s consistency & familiarity with the offense led to the Cowboys keeping him over Garrett Gilbert & Ben DiNucci.
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) August 31, 2021
Rush is the last man standing with Ben DiNucci and Garrett Gilbert being released, but the Cowboys should consider signing Newton as Dak Prescott‘s backup.
Waiting Game
Another thought is that teams will wait to see what happens in the coming weeks.
Could Newton become this generation’s Vinny Testaverde?
Testaverde was literally on call in the last three years of his NFL career.
Each fall from 2005 to 2007, he got a call from a team that needed a quarterback.
Ironically, one of those teams was Newton’s former team, the Carolina Panthers in 2007.
Newton is a former MVP who led the Panthers to the Super Bowl so he may not be prepared to accept a backup quarterback for hire position at this point in his career.
Another Issue
From an NFL team’s point of view, having the backup quarterback vaccinated could be critical.
Should the starting quarterback go down due to injury, COVID-19, or other illness, it could be an insurance policy for the team to have a vaccinated player at the ready.
Also an unvaccinated backup could cause the starter to miss time in certain circumstances which is a risk some teams may be unwilling to take.
I would love for the Cowboys to sign Cam Newton as Dak Prescott’s primary backup. I think Cam would be a great teammate. But I would do not anything to put Prescott in jeopardy. Cam is not vaccinated. Even the slight chance of him causing Prescott to miss games is a bridge to far
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) August 31, 2021
Newton had COVID-19 last season and missed practice last week due to an misunderstanding with testing protocols.
Those missed practices are when Jones stepped up and stole the job.
From @NFLTotalAccess: With #Patriots QB Cam Newton out after a COVID-related mishap, rookie Mac Jones has a big opportunity in front of him. pic.twitter.com/5vskn2aoAU
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 24, 2021
Newton is not vaccinated, and it does not mean he won’t get a job in the NFL, but it could lead to hesitation among teams.
NEXT: Baltimore Ravens Deserve Blame For J.K. Dobbins Injury
Clifton Dudley says
I think Cam should come to Atlanta Falcons we need a good back up and his athleticism.. but please go get vaccinated…
Anonymous says
its his choice to get vaccinated in my opinion i would not, he already had covid so he doesn’t really need to