Bears may not want to compete for Newton if released by Panthers

Cam Newton (1) is on the outs with the Panthers Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Bears may not want to compete for Cam Newton if released by Panthers

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 3/18/20

With the Carolina Panthers signing Teddy Bridgewater to replace Cam Newton, that leaves the 30-year-old former NFL MVP quarterback looking for a job.

Newton will more than likely be released by the Panthers in the coming days, and one team that reportedly has interest in the NFL veteran may not want to compete in the market for him.

The Chicago Bears, who currently have Mitch Trubisky under center, reportedly may not make a move for Newton, according to CBS Sports Jonathan Jones.

The Panthers have been in recent contact with the Bears regarding Cam Newton, per source. The expectation is Newton will be released in the coming days, but CHI may not want to compete in the market for him
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) March 18, 2020

With teams like the New England Patriots needing a quarterback, things could possibly heat up in the market for Newton.

Would the Bears be making a mistake by not at least checking in on Newton? Probably.

In nine years with the Panthers, Newton averaged 232.3 yards per game and threw 182 touchdowns with a 59.6 completion percent. The one major downside is the fact he's been dealing with injuries the past two year — he played just two games in 2019 due to a foot injury that required season-ending surgery after dealing with nagging issues in 2018.

When looking at Trubisky, it's important to note that he has just three seasons under his belt. He has a 23-18 record in Chicago, averaging 208.6 yards per game with 48 touchdown passes and a 63.4 completion percentage.

If the Bears really wanted to take a stab at Newton, they'd definitely need to think about the pros and cons of having a 30-year-old veteran quarterback as opposed to a 25-year-old with little experience under his belt.

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