The decision not to go get Cam Newton could haunt the Chicago Bears all season long.
Back in the spring, the Chicago Bears were at the center of every quarterback rumor, it seemed. Knowing they had to add a veteran quarterback to compete with Mitchell Trubisky, it was easy to piece together rumor after rumor.
At first, the hype was all about Derek Carr, who could have been moved. For a little while, it seemed like the Raiders were going to deal Carr and draft their quarterback of the future — at least that’s what hints and feelings from certain outlets would tell you.
Carr in Chicago would have been a thing of beauty, but it didn’t happen.
Then, there was that weird period of time when it was reported that Andy Dalton was a candidate for Chicago. Of course, fans were completely split on the thought of Dalton joining the team, even though he was still an upgrade over Trubisky.
There was always one guy, though, I wanted over most of the options.
When the Carolina Panthers released Cam Newton, it should have been Ryan Pace’s number one priority to sign him. Whatever the questions were about his health, signing Cam was worth the risk.
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All summer long, we saw videos of Cam’s workouts and how much of a freak he had turned into, physically. The man lived in the gym, and it was evident.
Finally, Cam got his deal at the beginning of July — and of course, it’s Bill Belichick who took the gamble. We can easily see where this winds up, especially if Cam is healthy.
As for the man himself, he feels good. Actually, at the moment, he’s a little pissed off — and that should make Ryan Pace feel very, very uncomfortable for going with Nick Foles instead.
This is, by far, the most motivated and locked in anyone has ever seen Cam before. Even the man himself knows it.
“You know what makes this s*** different, is… they ain’t never seen this Cam. They ain’t never seen ’em. You wanna know how I know? S***, I ain’t never seen ’em. The forgotten Cam. The s***ted on Cam. The tired of being sick and tired Cam. Feels like I was just left to die. You know what I’m sayin’ … It’s over for him. He ain’t the same player.”
If Cam is fully recovered from his ankle/foot injury last year, he’s ready to roll for 2020. Still only 31 years old, he’s in the prime of his career as far as the quarterback position is concerned. Plenty of other guys are playing great football at an older age. The only question was about his health, and all summer long, he’s gone out of his way to prove he’s in the best shape of his life.
This is the guy who has rushed for nearly 5,000 yards over his career as a quarterback. This is the guy who has scored 58 touchdowns on the ground, as a quarterback. This is a former NFL MVP — just five seasons ago. He’s a former All Pro, NFL Offensive Player of the Year and multiple-time Pro Bowler.
The Patriots essentially got him for pennies, and now they get a guy who is as hungry, motivated and focused than ever before. This could have been the Bears.
If Cam goes out and has a resurgence in 2020, there is only one way Pace shouldn’t feel uncomfortable — and that’s if the Bears get double-digit wins out of either Trubisky or Foles. Even then, with a strong season in 2020, Cam could haunt Pace for years to come. Not signing him, at this point, looks like a regrettable mistake.