FRISCO – Earlier this year, Cam Newton made headlines when he said there aren’t 32 current NFL quarterbacks better than him.
Actually, to be clear, what he said was, “Ain’t 32 m*****f******s better than me,” adding via a video that “these randoms keep getting jobs” in the league while Newton, 33, cannot get work.
Now the former league MVP, who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2021, is being more specific, and is listing all of the QBs who he would be willing to serve as a backup to.
And no, Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys is not on Cam’s respect-showing list.
Having said that – and without bothering (just yet) to defend Dak – the list is … well, weird.
Here are the names on the list:
- Deshaun Watson
- Lamar Jackson
- Justin Fields
- Tua Tagovailoa
- Malik Willis
- C.J., Stroud
- Bryce Young
- Anthony Richardson
- Jalen Hurts
- Aaron Rodgers
- Josh Allen
- Sam Howell
“Randoms”? Yes, there are some “randoms” on the list.
Newton’s list seems to include some young guys with whom he has some background ties with … a noble enough thought except that propels Washington’s Sam Howell, a 2022 fifth-round rookie, up into his top 12 names. Sam with Tennessee’s Malik Willis, a 2022 rookie who can’t yet take on Cam as his backup because Willis isn’t even a starter yet.
The omission of Prescott, glaring though some Cowboys fans think it might be, actually puts Dak in good company. Cam also neglects to indicate that he would be happy as Patrick Mahomes’ backup in Kansas City or as Joe Burrow’s backup in Cincinnati?
The entire campaign is rather goofy, and while Cam has made it very clear that he hopes to play in 2023, we wonder if what keeps teams from taking him seriously isn’t his age or his talent, but rather … his goofiness.
