The Washington Football Team wasn’t interested in Cam Newton when the quarterback lingered on the free agency market in 2020. According to JP Finlay of NBC Sports, Washington’s interest level won’t change this year.
The links between Cam Newton and Washington are obvious. He spent nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers under head coach Ron Rivera, who was fired by Carolina in 2019 before becoming Washington’s head coach in 2020. Rivera brought along a number former Panthers assistant coaches with him to Washington. That included offensive coordinator Scott Turner, who was Newton’s QB coach.
Additionally, Washington hired former Panthers general manager Marty Hurney last month as the team’s executive vice president of football/player personnel. Hurney drafted Newton.
However, Washington passing on Newton makes sense. Rivera and his coaching staff were in place in Washington last year, and they passed on Newton. Granted the situations were different. Rivera wanted to see what he had in his first year with Washington.
Dwayne Haskins was given a chance to prove he was the future of Washington. He ultimately failed and is no longer on the team, but there are still intriguing options within the building. That includes two former Panthers QBs whom are younger and have higher ceiling than Newton at the current stage of his career.
Kyle Allen was acquired in a trade last year after he spent time in Carolina with Rivera and Turner. He took the reigns following Haskins’ initial benching. But Allen’s season was cut short after four starts due to an ankle injury. He is an exclusive right free agent this offseason. However, it’s likely Washington brings him back to compete with Taylor Heinicke for backup at the very least, and maybe starter.
Heinicke, who signed a two-year extension earlier this month, is also a former Panthers QB. He has a great deal of familiarity with Turner’s system. Like Allen he showed a glimpse he could thrive under center for Washington with his courageous playoff performance.
It’s no secret Washington is flipping over every stone in search of a long-term answer at quarterback. Yes, Newton has a multitude of connection in Washington from his Carolina days. But, that may not be enough for Washington to pursue him, as they didn’t in 2020.
Last year, Newton signed late with the New England Patriots, searching for an opportunity to bounce back from shoulder and foot injuries that marred his last year in Carolina in 2019. Unfortunately, he struggled as a passer. He threw for eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 games, despite completing 65.8% of his passes.
Last month, Rivera didn’t rule out the possibility of Washington looking into Newton. But Newton’s struggles exemplified he may not be fully recovered from his injuries. Also, his desire to start may complicate the interest of teams.
Washington wants to hit a home run at quarterback for 2021. They’ve already struck out on the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes. Other formidable signal callers around the league have been linked to Washington’s interest. Maybe if they can’t land a long-term answer, they’ll re-visit Newton down the road?
