Patriots: Will Cam Newton be signed after latest vaccination news?

The New England Patriots pulled the plug on the Cam Newton experience months ago in favor of Mac Jones, but that hasn’t stopped the former MVP from remaining in the headlines.

As quarterback injuries start to pile up across the league, Newton’s name continues to be mentioned as a potential replacement.

Newton was brought in to succeed Tom Brady in New England, and despite the selection of Jones in the 2021 NFL Draft, the veteran came into training camp as the expected starter.

With more perimeter talent around him this season, New England was banking on a Newton resurgence.

That dream came crashing down to earth before the season, as a COVID-19 snafu with Newton on top of Jones playing better in practice helped Bill Belichick decide to cut him loose. Perhaps the head coach realized having an unvaccinated starting quarterback could really pose serious problems in a year this team needed to rebound.

Unfortunately for Newton, he finally came around on getting vaccinated too late to preserve his tenure in New England.

Per Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport, Newton has received the COVID-19 shot, meaning that teams won’t have to be concerned about him potentially missing long stretches of time if he tests positive (or is considered a close contact) like he did last year. Will this help generate more interest in him?

Will former Patriots QB Cam Newton sign with an NFL team?

Newton did throw more interceptions than touchdowns, but he did run for 11 scores last year, and his completion percentage shot up. Considering the lack of offensive talent that he was surrounded with for a large chunk of his time in New England, those numbers look a bit better by comparison.

The former MVP might not be what he once was, but he can still make plays with his legs, and the demise of his accuracy has been greatly exaggerated. With the likes of Drew Lock and Geno Smith having thrown the ball in recent weeks, the idea that Newton is not one of the 40 best quarterbacks in the world is nonsense.

Cam detractors will point to the fact that Jones is completing 71% of his passes, has won two games, and was a few unlucky breaks away from winning two more. The Patriots appear to be better off with Jones under center than they were with Newton, and teams could hold that against the veteran.

Nonetheless, Newton has plenty of good football left in him, but it might take a team getting risky in order to help him get one last shot as a starter in this league. At least the vaccination — one of the factors totally in his control — helps him eliminate a concern for potential suitors.

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