Injury history among factors limiting interest in Cam Newton

Report: Injury history among factors limiting interest in Cam Newton originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Veteran quarterback Cam Newton was released from the New England Patriots last week, and he has not yet found a new team with the 2021 NFL season scheduled to begin Thursday night.

There also haven’t been too many rumors of teams interested. The Cowboys have been speculated as a potential fit for the 2015 league MVP, but judging by Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy’s recent comments, it doesn’t sound like the NFC East franchise will be signing Newton anytime soon.

“I still think he has a ton of football left,” McCarthy told reporters. “But we’re very excited about the group that we have.”

NFL Power Rankings 2021: Where each team stands entering Week 1

What’s behind the hesitation from teams in regards to signing Newton?

Here’s what ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio reported Sunday:

“As one source with extensive experience evaluating NFL personnel explained it, the current issue with Cam is his history of injuries and a belief that he’s not throwing the ball very well.”

Newton’s vaccination status also has been speculated as a potential reason for why teams might be hesitant to sign him. But at the end of the day, you need your quarterback — whether he’s the starter or backup — to be able to throw the football effectively.

Curran: Your on-point 2021 Pats season prediction with Bucs game preview

Newton is not a great passer at this stage of his career. He struggled throughout the 2021 season as the Patriots’ starting quarterback. He threw for 2,657 yards (177.1 per game) with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 games. The Patriots ranked 30th in passing yards, 31st in passing touchdowns and 27th in QB rating for the 2020 campaign.

Newton, to his credit, ran for 592 yards with 12 rushing touchdowns last season. He’s still a very effective player in that aspect of the game. 

Overall, Newton is still good enough to be a backup quarterback in the NFL. Will a team take a chance on him? He might have to wait until injuries create depth issues for various teams.