Since the day he was cut by the New England Patriots, the idea has been floated that the Steelers should be signing Cam Newton. At that time the idea seemed pretty far fetched. The euphoria over the new and improved Steelers offense was in full affect. Three weeks later, it has become painfully obvious that this offense, and this quarterback in particular, are no where near good enough. Is Ben Roethlisberger the weak link on the Steelers?
Cam Newton has one trait in his arsenal that this franchise desperately needs at the quarterback position, and that is mobility. Even at thirty two years old he is a dangerous threat to run. Newton had nearly 600 yards on the ground for the Patriots in 2020. His ability to scramble could greatly help this struggling offensive line. Not to mention what getting some cheap first downs on quarterback runs could do for this anemic offense.
As far as Newton as a passer, it would be hard to judge him from his 2020 performance. There were a slew of things working against the veteran quarterback. First and foremost were the Covid 19 protocols that limited practice time in the preseason. Newton did not have the proper time to prepare for the complicated Patriots offense, and he struggled because of it. Next, we have to look at the absolute lack of any sort of talent New England had at the skill positions. When Jakobi Meyers and Damiere Byrd are the leading receivers, you know there’s issues. Injuries also played a part in what was a forgettable season for Cam Newton.
Signing Cam Newton is not going to happen in the near future. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been committed to Ben Roethlisberger more than any other player in the last 30 years, or longer. This franchise will have to realize that Big Ben can no longer be a viable starting quarterback at some point. Things will not get any easier for the Steelers in the coming weeks. With games upcoming against the Packers, Broncos, Seahawks, and Browns there is a very real possibility this team could be 1-6 going into the bye. By week eight this team will be scrambling for answers. That answer could very well end up being Cam Newton.
I really think that cam could help the settlers out of the mess that they are in at this point. He would really be a asset to the team at this point before it’s to late to get into the play offs .