The NFL offseason is all about rumors and opinions. Especially when it comes to the quarterback position. Whenever a team has question marks there, as the Chicago Bears obviously do, it’s going to lead to rampant speculation. With Mitch Trubisky very much an unknown quantity after a dismal showing in 2019, fans wonder which direction the team might go at that position. Will they seek some competition? Maybe an outright replacement? Or will GM Ryan Pace stick by his word and keep him the starter?
Typically in these situations, the national media tend to gravitate towards one name or another. This upcoming class of veterans is easily one of the richest the league has seen in many, many years. There are plenty of options such as Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, and Andy Dalton. One would think any of those guys would be the logical favorites.
Yet over the course of the past few weeks, anybody who has paid attention can tell one name has been heavily favored above the rest. That is former MVP Cam Newton.
Chicago Bears are the hot destination for Newton fans
It’s not just regular media saying this stuff. Many current and former players are connecting the dots between Newton and Chicago. Pat McAfee singled them out in the video above. Emmanuel Acho of ESPN joined in that consensus as well.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Just recently Marc Silverman of “Waddle & Silvy” revealed that during his visit down in Miami for the Super Bowl, a prominent Kansas City Chiefs defender insisted the Bears were going to get Newton because Nagy no longer trusts Trubisky.
Now other prominent experts are following suit. Longtime NFL.com columnist Marc Sessler listed Newton to Chicago as one of the primary things on his offseason wishlist.
“A course correction is required. Chicago must treat Mitchell like what he is: a low-tier starter begging for camp competition. In this scenario, I’d pit Trubisky against a traded-for Cam Newton, hitting the scene as a big-bodied, alpha slinger who allows the Bears to lash out at the NFC North as an angry kitty ready to tussle.”
Now Newton is a really good player.
He’s been one of the most dominant physical talents at the quarterback position since he entered the league in 2011. With that said, is he the same player he wast five years ago? It’s hard to see that being the case. Though only 30-years old, his body has endured a lot of punishment for the past couple of years. He went through shoulder surgery after the 2018 season and is now recovering from foot surgery from last year.
To say nothing of his fit in Matt Nagy’s offense. Newton has typically been at his best in a run-oriented offense where he can feast of RPOs and play action. While Nagy likes using the RPO as well, he’s more of a pass-first coach. He’d want somebody known for being able to survey from the pocket and deliver with accuracy. Not a key strength of Newton’s game.
So there are legitimate arguments against this move. Yet the fact does remain that he would be an upgrade over Trubisky if healthy.
