Getty QB Cam Newton will be playing for another team in 2020. Will it be the Chicago Bears?
Does the Cam Newton-to-the-Chicago Bears rumor have any legs? If the latest from NFL insiders is true, not only does it have legs, it may already be running down the field.
According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Carolina Panthers have been in touch with the Bears about a possible trade for the quarterback. “The expectation is Newton will be released in the coming days, but CHI may not want to compete in the market for him,” Jones said via Twitter.
The Bears don’t have a great deal of draft capital to send the Panthers, so in order to trade for Newton, they’d have to send a likely late round draft pick or two and/or a player of value. Running back Tarik Cohen has been one name rumored to be on the trading block for the Bears, so sending Cohen and a late round pick for Newton is a possibility — but there are multiple factors for the Bears to consider before they decide to go all-in on Newton.
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COVID-19 Will Impact Bears’ Ability to Evaluate Cam Newton Physically
The COVID-19 virus may play a role in how Newton’s story plays out, as well. With all 32 NFL teams limited in travel, and most/all facilities temporarily shut down due to the pandemic, the Bears’ team doctors will be unable to evaluate Newton physically, which will be crucial to do after his recent injury history.
Newton had surgery on his foot in December, and he missed the great majority of the 2019 season due to the injury, which nagged him all season.
Trading for Newton without team doctors examining him first would be an absolute risk, but the quarterback market right now leaves the Bears with few options. Nick Foles, Andy Dalton, and Jameis Winston are also out there, but Winston’s troubling off-field past coupled with his penchant for tossing picks leave him a very unlikely candidate.
Newton would be a solid fit for Matt Nagy’s system, but everything will depend on his health and recovery moving forward. A healthy Newton would be a definite asset in Chicago, but whether he can recapture the majority of his magic remains a question mark.
For his part, Newton has mentioned in the recent past he’d like to play in Chicago. Newton is due around $19 million in 2020, and at least one member of the Bears offense has endorsed the veteran QB.
The Bears’ top wide receiver Allen Robinson ‘liked’ a tweet that showed the Bears as favorites to land Newton. He later deleted it, but it was still captured on the Twitterverse.
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