Ron Rivera Addresses Cam Newton Speculation; Names Ryan Fitzpatrick Starter

The New England Patriots shocked a lot of people when they reportedly released Cam Newton on Tuesday morning, paving the way for Mac Jones to be the Week 1 starter.

Naturally, questions and predictions about where Newton could land next started surging, with the Washington Football Team being a potential destination.

Newton spent 2011-19 under Ron Rivera as a member of the Carolina Panthers, so they’re certainly familiar with one another. So it’s no surprise Rivera was asked if Newton was on their radar after his release.

“It did pop up on our radar, but just so you know, Ryan Fitzpatrick is our starting quarterback,” Rivera told reporters, via team reporter Nicki Jhabvala. “So that’s where we are. We have three guys we like that all came to camp, did a nice job for us and we’re going to go forward with those guys.”

That’s really just a polite way of saying no.

The quarterback position still remains a question mark for Washington heading into the season. The club is close to being a contender, but are Fitzpatrick, Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen the answers at that spot? Probably not.

Maybe it’s worth it for Rivera to have a conversation and see if Newton fits into WFT’s plans, but as of right now, it doesn’t seem like that’s on the table.