Analyzing Newton's pluses and minuses, why he hasn't been signed, and five teams that could sign him.
Let me just start off by saying that I understand why teams would not want Newton as their backup. Yes, he would be an excellent QB2, but he does have a big personality that most likely would not fit into a backup role. In addition, he is most likely going to want more money than most teams would want to give a backup. What I don't understand though is why some team with a young quarterback who might not quite be ready, or no good quarterback at all, doesn't bring in Newton.
Yes, I understand that the injuries make him a bit undesirable, but every QB has injuries. You can't call him injury prone either, because before 2019, he had missed just a total of five games in eight seasons. Having both shoulder and foot injuries does make it seem worse, but he deserves a shot. Even in the eight games in 2018 before his shoulder injury, he was off to an excellent start to the season.
What has hurt Newton a lot is not being able to meet with teams because of Covid-19. He therefore cannot get a physical with any teams interested in signing him. He did pass the physical that the Panthers gave him, but there is no way for other teams to know that he is fully back without conducting their own. Both Newton and the Panthers had significant reasons to have him pass that test, if you know what I mean. In my opinion, not being able to have other meetings is the primary reason that he has not yet been signed.
Newton also has a unique playing style. He is not your typical pocket passer, so a team wanting to sign him would have to plan around how he plays. The Panthers let go of Newton in the first place because new head coach Matt Rhule had a different type of player in mind, and that was Teddy Bridgewater. He did not have the schemes for a running quarterback like Newton is.
The three time Pro Bowler, and former MVP clearly has the talent to still be an above average NFL quarterback at the very least. It seems that a bunch of teams have locked up their starting QB's for next year, but not every team.
The five teams below are no doubt all long shots to get him. To be frank, there is no favorite to sign Newton. Whoever signs him will be making a bit of a shocking move, that is if he is signed. Try to keep that in mind.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: As much as I love Gardner Minshew's mustache, I just don't think that he is the long term solution. Even if the Jags do think that is is, they could still bring in Newton to compete with him. They're not going to be good anyway, so why not give it a shot? It is a low risk, high reward situation with the Jags.
2. Chicago Bears: This is a whole different story, but I don't understand why the Bears would go out and sign Nick Foles. He is honestly not that different form Mitch Trubisky, and if they think that he is going to capture the magic to win another Super Bowl, they are delusional. Trubisky is not the solution either. Why not sign Newton, who is a risk yes, but has SO much more upside than either of those two.
3. New England Patriots: Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels is not a fan of Newton,and it seems unlikely considering how Bill Belichick does things, but don't count it out completely. It is a longshot, because of the support the Pats have shown for Jarrett Stidham, but anyting is possible in New England.
4. Washington Redskins: Wouldn't that be ironic for Newton to end back up with Ron Rivera in Washington? Rivera went out and got his former QB Kyle Allen though, so it's very unlikely.
5. Los Angeles Chargers: Because of Justin Herbert, Newton wouldn't get any more than a year long contract with the Chargers. They already have the extremely mediocre Tyrod Taylor at the helm though. This is another unlikely situation because Los Angeles already has two QB's.
In conclusion, it just doesn't seem like there are many ideal places for Newton to land up. Newton, and his team are going to have to make compromises. He absolutely has the talent to still be a starter in the NFL though. Just give him a shot.