Cam Newton Unlikely To Sign With New Team For This Reason: Report

Cam Newton #1 of the New England Patriots

Cam Newton has had his best years in the NFL, particularly during the 2015 season. A lot has changed since then, and at the top of the list is his struggle with keeping himself healthy.

Newton was released by the New England Patriots Tuesday, believed to be a result of him missing some preseason games due to an alleged COVID-19 misunderstanding. But it appears the issue goes beyond that, according to reports.

One issue that allegedly contributed to the axing of Newton was his level of preparation, particularly during training camp. Former Patriot Rob Ninkovich claimed that the 32-year-old made more mental errors compared to rookie Mac Jones during training.

“From what I gained from sources inside the actual building, from everything I understand now, Mac was basically helping Cam learn the playbook. ... Mac was having less mental errors and having a better understanding of the offense," the former Pats defensive end claimed on his “Dan and Ninko Show” podcast

Although cutting Newton means the Patriots would be on thin ice by relying on Jones, it appears that Bill Belichick prefers to have a player who is willing to learn the ropes and adjust.

These allegations may hurt Newton's chances with teams that may be considering taking him in. However, no NFL team has been closely linked to the three-time Pro Bowler so far, with NBC Sports reporting last week that a reunion with Washington head coach Ron Rivera was not happening.

Aside from allegations that Newton struggles with learning his team's playbook, his injury history is another aspect that may be of concern for teams.

An experienced NFL evaluator, who was not named, reportedly told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Newton’s history of injuries is scaring teams away. According to Florio, his source also pointed out the "belief that he’s not throwing the ball very well."

In the 2021 season, Newton threw for 2,657 yards (177.1 per game) with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 games, according to NBC Sports. Last season, the Patriots ranked 30th in passing yards, 31st in passing touchdowns and 27th in QB rating.

However, the outlet also noted that he ran for 592 yards with 12 rushing touchdowns last season.

With three days to go before the new season starts, Newton's chances of signing with a new NFL team are getting bleaker. He will have to wait and see which NFL team is ready to take a chance on him this 2021-22 season.