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Who Will Cam Newton Play For Next? Here are 5 Possible Landing Spots For Him

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Published Sep 1, 2021

Cam Newton has gone from Superman to free agent after the New England Patriots cut ties with the dual-threat quarterback earlier this week. It's hard to believe that six seasons ago, Newton racked up 45 total touchdowns, a 99.4 quarterback rating, and almost 4,000 passing yards, en route to winning the 2015 NFL MVP award.

Granted, he's far from the player that he was during his MVP reign, Newton can still be a productive starting NFL quarterback. If you look at his stats from 2020, a 20:11 touchdown-to-turnover ratio in a new system, with official no pre-season, isn't that bad.

The question is, what team will give him his next shot?

Here are five teams who should make a move for Cam Newton, including one extra special mention that you probably won't expect.

5. San Francisco 49ers

What Team will Cam Newton play for Niners

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Although the Niners just selected Trey Lance with the 3rd overall pick, Lance is scheduled to miss some time after suffering a small finger fracture. Jimmy Garoppolo is a viable option to start Week 1 and would’ve been the favorite to beat Lance out for the starting job regardless. With that being said, Garrapolo has a history of the injury bug, and if something were to happen, the Niners would be stuck with an unproven rookie and Nate Sudfeld.

Also, within the context of “what have you done for me lately,” Garrapolo missed the majority of 2020 with a high ankle sprain, while Newton played in all but one game for the Pats last season. Picking up Cam Newton as your third quarterback would do more good than harm if you’re the San Francisco 49ers.

4. Miami Dolphins

What Team will Cam Newton play for Dolphins

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Bill Belichick's former assistant and now Dolphins' head coach Brian Flores would make all the press clippings in the world if he signed Cam Newton and cooked up some Wildcat looks for their Week 1 matchup against, you guessed, New England.

The move also makes sense because the Dolphins' backup situation is not the prettiest, and Newton would add value to that roster slot from a talent perspective. Additionally, only a few quarterbacks have performed at Newton's level from a dual-threat standpoint in recent years. Being that young Tua Tagovailoa has a similar play style, I love the idea of getting Newton's experience and expertise around Tua this early in his career.

3. Dallas Cowboys

What Team will Cam Newton play for Cowboys

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After releasing Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci, the Cowboys have two quarterbacks in Cooper Rush and Dak Prescott. Not only would Cam complete their quarterback room, but in the event that he’d need to play, he’s surrounded by a terrific offense.

According to Pro Football Focus, Dallas’ offensive line ranks the 6th best in the league. You can’t lie; the idea of Cam lining up next to Ezekiel Elliot behind a dominant o-line is fun as hell, as the two players scored a combined 18 total touchdowns on the ground in 2020. I’m envisioning read-option galore if those two dudes ever share the same turf.

2. Houston Texans

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I really like this destination for Newton. I think the ineptitude of the Texans franchise will allow Cam Newton to play pressure-free football if he gets an opportunity. Plus, it’s not like the cloud over Deshaun Watson’s football career is going anywhere, so Newton likely won’t have to compete with Watson, who’s a great player, for a spot. Additionally, even though Tyrod Taylor is a good football player, he’s not better than Cam.

In my opinion, the Texans have arguably the worst quarterback situation in the NFL based on the simple fact that their best option, one of the best talents in the league in Watson, has off-the-field issues and doesn’t want to be there. This seemingly poor culture won’t lead to too many wins, as USA Today Sports projected Houston would go 1-16. Neither side has anything to lose, and at the very least, Cam is filling more seats in NRG Stadium than Tyrod Taylor.

1. Major League Rugby: New England FreeJacks

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Hear me out here. The New England FreeJacks are a professional rugby team co-owned by Patrick Chung and Nate Ebner, two former Patriots. Like the Texans, they’re a team that wasn’t very good last year in Major League Rugby and don’t have much to lose by taking a chance on Newton. From Cam’s perspective, we’ve seen many athletes make successful transitions from football to rugby, including Perry Baker, who had a short NFL stint before becoming the best 7’s rugby player in the world. Cam is an elite and physical runner with natural ball skills, making him an absolute nightmare on the rugby field. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a similar breakout introduction to the sport from Cam like Perry Baker had if he gave it a shot. Maybe being cut is a sign that it’s time for a change, a brute, padless, and beer-chugging change that would undoubtedly put American rugby on the map for many NFL fans.