Will Cam Newton land in Canton after he retires?
By: Jake Rajala
The Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has been one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks over the past decade. The energetic and workhorse QB was the 2011 Offensive Rookie of The Year, 2015 MVP, and he’s made three Pro Bowls in his career. Newton has collected a 75-68-1 record in his career, 194 passing touchdowns, and 5,628 rushing yards in his NFL tenure.
Newton is well regarded as arguably the most unique quarterback and dynamic football player of all time. Although, Newton hasn’t tasted top-end success over the past few seasons. Since 2017, Newton hasn’t registered a winning season and he hasn’t been a quality QB in each of the past few seasons.
The former Panthers QB will be remembered as a special QB, but will he go down as a legendary, future Hall of Fame QB? I believe Newton would not be a future HOF QB if he retired today.
Let’s take a look at QBs that played beyond the year 2000 and earned a spot in the Hall of Fame. Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Kurt Warner are the recent prolific signal-callers that have made it into the Hall of Fame. It’s safe to say that Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers will go into Canton, as well. If Newton was compared to these QBs, it would not look well for him.
Brees is Top-2 in passing yards and passing touchdowns of all time, while also holding a Super Bowl Ring. Peyton Manning is Top 3 in passing touchdowns and passing yards all-time, plus he has two Super Bowl wins. Aaron Rodgers has four MVP awards and he won Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers. Kurt Warner has many postseason passing records, a stunning ride with the Rams “greatest show on turf” offense, and he won a Super Bowl. Tom Brady holds the records for most passing yards and passing touchdowns of all time, plus he has won seven Super Bowl rings. It’s clear that TB12 wasn’t just magical in his playing career, but he’s arguably the greatest athlete of all time.
I believe that the legacy of the QBs mentioned above carries one QB that could have a similar outcome that holds near success as Newton. Warner has been a legendary QB with the Rams, but he only carries one Super Bowl ring. The sight of Warner making into Canton should give Newton confidence. If Newton wins his first Super Bowl, I believe Warner and Newton would carry very similar success in their respected careers.
Nonetheless, I don’t expect Newton to have a dominant 18-week season and then propel his squad to a Super Bowl victory. Yet, if Newton did manage to win another Super Bowl in a unique way, I believe he should eventually be inducted into Canton.
Newton doesn’t have the same arm strength or even the same ability to handle a load frequently as a rushing threat from the starting QB position. Still, I’d love to see him sign as a backup QB on a talented team. If the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, or Miami Dolphins sign him, he would have a realistic chance at starting for the potential playoff squads in the near future.
The Superman QB might have fallen off a cliff in the past couple of years, but he has the makeup to come back stronger in the league. He has the Heisman drive, skillset that could attract many teams, and he’s only 32 years old (a year younger than Russell Wilson).
The NFL world witnessed Nick Foles replace Carson Wentz late in the 2017-2018 season and then lead his team to a Super Bowl win over Tom Brady. I believe the 49ers, who were featured in the NFC Championship with Jimmy G, would be a potential fit for Newton in 2022. The 49ers have high expectations for Trey Lance, but the playoff contender can’t just roll out the carpet for him to start in Week 1. Kyle Shanahan will surely bring in a veteran QB, who holds a similar skillset to the second-year Lance, to compete with the former North Dakota State product this offseason.
The Saints had significant injury issues with Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill last season. If the Saints didn’t have Trevor Sieman play for five games, I believe the Saints would have made the playoffs last season. Hill and Newton also have a very similar style of play, so it would make sense if the Saints looked at Newton in a desperate scenario. If Newton has the keys to the Saints or 49ers talented supporting cast in the playoffs, he can seek his elusive Super Bowl ring, and look to punch his ticket to Canton.
