Unless they agree to extensions beforehand, there are a number of veteran quarterbacks including Tom Brady (Patriots), Drew Brees (Saints), Teddy Bridgewater (Saints), Jameis Winston (Buccaneers), Ryan Tannehill (Titans) and Dak Prescott (Cowboys) who will become free agents on March 18th.
Whether Cam Newton will join that list of names may hinge on a workout for the Carolina Panthers that still needs to be scheduled.
The 30-year-old quarterback is still rehabbing from surgery he had in December to repair a Lisfranc injury to his foot and the team is hoping to put the 2015 NFL MVP through a workout to see where he is in the recovery process.
The workout, which would likely take place in March, will play a key role in determining Newton’s future in Carolina, according to ESPN’s David Newton (no relation). “The Panthers need to know where Newton is in his rehab to determine whether they want to let him play out the final year of his contract or move on,” he writes.
Should the Panthers decide to part ways with Newton, they’ll save $19.1 million under the salary cap which can then be used to go after another veteran QB.
Though Newton has stated publicly that he’ll “absolutely” be back with the team, no one in the Carolina organization, including owner David Tepper, has confirmed that’s the case.
“Listen, I’m not a doctor,” Tepper said, via Steve Reed of the Associated Press. “I’ve said it a million times. Is he healthy? He’s not a doctor. There’s a lot of different things that can happen, but first is, is he healthy? Tell me that and then we can talk.”
Panthers owner David Tepper on where the team stands on Cam Newton’s future with the organization. pic.twitter.com/4lwuKv7kWq
— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) February 11, 2020
Should the team and new head coach Matt Rhule decide to move on from Newton, they may be inclined to attempt to trade him, another reason why having a good March workout is key for his future.
“Teams will need evidence that he has gone through drills with no setbacks,” Newton writes. “How well he does also could have an impact on what the Panthers get in compensation. Say Newton wants to move on and not be a part of a rebuilding process under Rhule, regardless of what the Panthers decide. A good workout would serve him well to stir interest among other teams.”
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