The Patriots reportedly are thinking of adding a veteran quarterback to the depth chart behind Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
And Cam Newton has half-heartedly come off his “ain’t 32 guys that’s better” high horse slightly this week to explain that he’s now willing to be a backup in order to return to an NFL roster.
In theory, it might make sense then that Newton could be an option in New England, where he spent little more than a year and started all 15 games he played in for Bill Belichick’s team back in 2020.
Not so fast. Newton apparently has no interest in backing up Jones in Foxborough.
In a video posted on to his YouTube channel, Newton says his phone has not rung this offseason with calls from NFL teams and goes on to make a pitch to return to the league where he was the MVP in 2015 and the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2011.
“There's a narrative that's out there that says, you know, Cam does not want to be a backup," Newton says in the video. "I never said I didn't want to be a backup, so I'm going to take this time to explain who and what situation I would want to be a backup to and for."
Newton goes on to list 12 quarterbacks he’d be willing to back up, including some that will be taken early in April’s NFL Draft that don’t even have a team yet.
One name that’s notably absent from the dozen potential landing spots for Newton? Mac Jones, the former No. 15 overall pick who beat out Newton for the Patriots’ starting job in 2021, leading to the former MVP being cut by Belichick.
Newton’s list, in his own order, of guys he’d be willing to back up includes Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson, Baltimore free agent Lamar Jackson, Chicago’s Justin Fields, Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa, Tennessee’s Malik Willis, Ohio State first-round prospect CJ Stroud, Alabama first-round prospect Bryce Young, Florida freakish athlete Anthony Richardson, Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts, Green Bay and possible Jets star Aaron Rodgers, Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Washington’s Sam Howell, who plays for former Panthers coach Ron Rivera.
“I’ll just put it like this,” Newton said, explaining the list and names absent from it, “if I didn’t say that person’s name in that list it’s either you are already solidified as a starter and it doesn’t do me no justice or it’s just like bro let’s battle it out, let’s compete. Feel me? Straight up. Not that I missed anybody. This is a list I took time and created.
“We’re not going to name names now, but if you have a question of other players (absent from the list), bro I don’t think they’re better than me. And I would prefer them to have a situation if I were to come in to compete for a starting job.”
Newton wants to get back in the NFL. He’s now willing to be a backup in the league.
Just not to Mac Jones in New England, apparently.
Because Newton still doesn’t think Jones is better than him, apparently.
