Chicago Bears: Examining the 2020 quarterback options
Rumors have circled around Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton throughout the 2019 season. The Chicago Bears have been linked to Newton but there is a hurdle to a deal.
Let’s start with the least likely option. That option being Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton.
The Panthers fired head coach Ron Rivera and the speculation is that Carolina is on the precipice of a rebuild. A rebuild that could include moving on from Newton. Newton is owed slightly less than $19 million in 2020 and figures to be the most intriguing option on the quarterback market.
There are a couple of reasons, though, that would suggest that Newton will not be the answer for the Bears at the quarterback position in 2020.
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The biggest reason is that the Panthers are looking to trade Newton for a large haul as opposed to releasing him and letting him hit the open market. The Bears simply do not have the capital to appeal to the Panthers in a trade. The Khalil Mack trade left the Bears without a first-round draft pick in 2020 and that is likely where the Panthers will end the discussion.
The only way in which Newton becomes a realistic option for the Bears is if he is released by the Panthers. With neither Kyle Allen nor Will Grier showing much promise for the Panthers this season in light of Newton’s injury, it seems likely that the Panthers will hold onto the former NFL MVP if no team is willing to meet their asking price.
Secondly, considering his age and recent run of injuries, a trade for Newton would definitely not be considered as a long-term answer for the Bears at the quarterback position.
Newton posted a quarterback rating of 71 in his 2 starts for the Panthers this season along with a completion percentage of 56.2 percent. Questions over the strength of Newton’s shoulder have surrounded the quarterback the past two seasons and he did little to dispel those rumors before his 2019 season was cut short due to injury.
As much as trading for Newton would be a headline-stealing move for the Bears, the fact of the matter is he is the least likely option to replace Mitch Trubisky.