Even with the 2020 NFL season a few months away, it’s still puzzling that Cam Newton remains unsigned. Granted, injuries have limited him the past two seasons. But Newton believes he’s healthy, and at age 31, he should have a few more good years left in him. While there aren’t many teams looking for a quarterback at the moment, here are five teams that could benefit from signing Newton for the 2020 season.
Broncos
In fairness, the Broncos are high on Drew Lock after he showed some promise late in 2019. But don’t they have to give Newton a chance? Lock has talent, but he’s not a proven commodity. Newton being a running threat could work wonders with Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay in the backfield with him. Plus, with Denver’s young group of wide receivers, the Broncos would benefit from an experienced quarterback while giving Lock another year or two to develop.
Patriots
For what it’s worth, Newton and Bill Belichick isn’t exactly a natural combination. Newton may not fit into “the Patriots Way.” But is New England going to replace Tom Brady with Jarrett Stidham with veteran backup Brian Hoyer being the failsafe? If the Patriots want to extend their streak of consecutive AFC East titles, signing Newton might be the best way to do it.
Redskins
It’s surprising that Washington hasn’t already tried to sign Newton. After all, new head coach Ron Rivera has been Newton’s coach his entire career. The two worked well together in Carolina and could create similar results in Washington. Obviously, the Redskins used the 15th overall pick in 2019 to take Dwayne Haskins. But Haskins didn’t look anywhere close to ready to play in the NFL last season. It wouldn’t hurt to give Newton a chance to make Washington respectable in 2020 while Haskins gets a chance to sit and learn a little longer.
Bears
The Bears know they have a defense that can take them to the playoffs, they just don’t have a quarterback. It’s a safe bet that Mitch Trubisky is the long-term solution and Nick Foles isn’t a guarantee to be the answer either. If healthy, Newton would be the best option in Chicago. The Bears could run the ball effectively and play strong defense, which is the combination that won the NFC North in 2018.
Jaguars
It should be a no-brainer for the Jaguars to want Newton, right? Doug Marrone is squarely on the hot seat following back-to-back losing seasons with Jacksonville’s trip to the AFC Championship Game in 2017 a distant memory. Gardner Minshew provided a nice spark last season, but he’s probably not anything more than a decent backup. Signing Mike Glennon doesn’t exactly shore up the quarterback position for the Jags. Newton, even with his recent injuries in mind, would immediately jump above both Minshew and Glennon on the depth chart if Jacksonville were to sign him. Considering how desperate they are to win and their lack of options otherwise, the Jaguars need Newton even more than Newton needs a team.