NFL Rumors: Washington Would Be ‘Most Natural’ Landing Spot For Cam Newton, Per Adam Schefter
After a disappointing season with the New England Patriots where he failed to recapture his old form and saw his team miss the postseason, Cam Newton will be eligible for free agency in the 2021 NFL offseason. And with speculation regarding his future with the Patriots ramping up, a recent report suggested that the Washington Football Team might be the best destination for the former MVP if he decides to leave New England.
As quoted on Wednesday morning in a Twitter post from WEEI Patriots writer Ryan Hannable, ESPN’s Adam Schefter weighed in on Newton’s situation on The Greg Hill Show, where he said that the “most natural spot” for the veteran quarterback would be Washington. He speculated that if Newton decides to sign with the organization, he will likely receive a two-year contract “with incentives,” valued at a total of $40 million to $50 million.
As noted by USA Today’sPatriots Wire, Schefter likely recommended Washington because of the various factors that could work in Newton’s favor. Currently, the Football Team is coached by Ron Rivera, who had served as the Carolina Panthers’ head coach from 2011 through 2019 and had overseen Newton’s rise to stardom after being picked first overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. Washington also has the league’s second-best defense in yards allowed per game and qualified for the playoffs despite not having a top-flight signal-caller at any point in the 2020 campaign.
“Washington released Dwayne Haskins a few weeks ago and Alex Smith isn’t the quarterback of the future for this team. Taylor Heinicke is the next-best option at the position, so a quarterback will be top priority. All of these scenarios lead to a perfect reunion for Newton and Rivera.”
In addition to the aforementioned quarterbacks, Washington still has Kyle Allen, who played solidly in four starts before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in November, according to Sports Illustrated. He also has previous experience playing for Rivera, as he started 12 games for the Panthers in 2019 after replacing an injured Newton as their first-string signal-caller.
As for New England, there’s still a possibility the organization will try to bring Newton back for the 2021 season. However, there has been some speculation that the club will ultimately replace the 31-year-old with another veteran behind center. According to an earlier report from Patriots Wire, CBS analyst Boomer Esiason predicted that several signal-callers, including Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers and Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions, “could be in play” for the six-time Super Bowl champions in the coming offseason.
