Cam Newton Lists Eagles' Jalen Hurts as QB He’d Be Willing To Back Up
Cam Newton doesn't believe that there are 32 quarterbacks in the NFL currently that are better than him, but is seemingly aware that after not playing in 2022, he may have to accept a backup job to get his foot back in the door.
To that end, Newton listed 12 quarterbacks he would be willing to back up, and among them was Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Jalen Hurts:
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Of course, the Eagles introduced Marcus Mariota as their backup on Wednesday, so there's no reason to think they would have interest in Newton. Nonetheless, it's interesting to see the level of respect that Newton has for Hurts, in that he would be willing to back him up despite having once been one of the faces of the sport.
The problem with signing Newton as a backup is that he has a larger-than-life personality and there are plenty of players in the league currently that looked up to him when they were in high school or college. Even if Newton was the perfect solider, his presence alone could become a distraction if the starter falters at all.
Additionally, Newton has thrown more interceptions (15) than touchdown passes (12) over his list two NFL stints, which he spent with the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers. It's unclear what Newton has left as a passer at this stage.
With that said, Newton ran for 12 touchdowns in 2020 with the Patriots, and tacked on another five in parts of eight games for the Panthers in 2021. If he was behind a cemented starting quarterback, not only could he be injury insurance, but he could be utilized as a red zone and short-yardage weapon on the ground.
There's a scenario where Newton could still bring value to an NFL team in 2023. That team just isn't the Eagles.
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