Many people were surprised by the New England Patriots‘ decision to release veteran quarterback Cam Newton this summer. The arrival of Mac Jones, who was selected as the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has undeniably made Newton expendable in New England, but most people didn’t expect the Patriots to part ways with the veteran quarterback before the start of the 2021 NFL season.
As of now, Newton remains an unrestricted free agent, hoping to find a team that will give him the opportunity to continue his NFL career.
Cam Newton To Steelers
Though he’s yet to find a new home, Newton continues to be linked to several NFL teams that are rumored to be looking for an upgrade at the starting quarterback position. One of the latest NFL teams that are being connected to Newton is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In a recent appearance on Get Up, which is posted on Twitter, former Miami Dolphins executive vice president of football operations and current ESPN insider Mike Tannenbaum advised the Steelers to replace Ben Roethlisberger with Newton as their starting quarterback in the 2021 NFL season.
"Go sign Cam Newton to a two-year deal," Tannenbaum said.
Is Cam Newton Better Than Ben Roethlisberger?
Replacing Roethlisberger with Newton would make a lot of sense for the Steelers, especially if they don’t want to finish the 2021 NFL season at the bottom of the NFL standings. Roethlisberger may have shown an improvement with his physique this summer, but it didn’t help him perform better this season where they have already lost three of their first four games.
According to The Spun, Roethlisberger currently has a quarterback rating of 78.9. In the four games he played, he has thrown for 1,033 yards on 64-percent completions, with four touchdowns and four interceptions.
Cam Newton A Stop-Gap Option For Steelers
Compared to Roethlisberger, the Steelers could have more chances of winning games if they have Newton as their starting quarterback this season. The Steelers won’t bring Newton to Pittsburgh as a long-term replacement for Roethlisberger. As Tannenbaum noted, Newton would only serve as a stop-gap option for the Steelers before they pursue bigger names on the market next summer.
"When I’m negotiating with San Francisco and Green Bay in the offseason for Jimmy Garoppolo and Aaron Rodgers, I want as much leverage in that negotiation as possible," Tannenbaum said.
Ben Roethlisberger Needs To Play Better To Save His Job
As of now, it remains unknown if there’s an ongoing negotiation between Newton and the Steelers regarding a potential deal. However, if Roethlisberger won’t show an improvement with his performance in their upcoming game, it won’t be surprising if the Steelers decide to take the starting job away from him. If Steelers won’t go after Newton, they could name either Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins as their new starting quarterback.
The Steelers’ next game would be against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night at Heinz Field.
