We probably shouldn’t expect Cam Newton to join the Patriots, at least not any time soon.
Newton remains a free agent after being released by the Carolina Panthers last week, but the 2015 NFL MVP himself might not be to blame for his availability. Much like in other leagues across the sports landscape, the NFL currently has restrictions in place amid the coronavirus crisis, including a pause on free-agent physicals.
This comes as particularly tough to Newton, who missed nearly all of the 2019 season due to a foot injury. As Jay Glazer explained in his weekly mailbag for The Athletic, New England currently being unable to properly evaluate Newton likely will have an impact on the team’s interest.
“Guys like Newton are in a precarious position with the measures that have to be taken due to the coronavirus,” Newton wrote. “A guy like that, if I was a head coach, I’d want to make sure I see him with my own eyes. I’d want to make sure I do a full medical and that my doctors get to see him. But that can’t be done right now, and that makes his future a bit murkier.”
This makes plenty of sense, as all NFL teams currently are being forced to play the hand they’ve been dealt. But purely from a football perspective, some pundits would argue Foxboro is the best landing spot for Newton.
