Auburn football: B/R ponders Cam Newton-Chicago Bears union

Auburn football legend Cam Newton’s future still hangs in the balance during NFL free agency as teams sort out the 2021 quarterback market.

The Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson dominos will fall before Newton knows the jersey he will wear in the 2021 season. Both situations involve the Chicago Bears, who Bleacher Report pondered a union about with the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner.

Should the Bears lose out to teams like the New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, or even New York Jets, Newton could be a high-quality free-agent plan B.

As B/R’s Maurice Moton pointed out, Newton is a better option than soon-to-be free agent Mitchell Trubisky and fallen 2018 Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles despite his struggles with the New England Patriots:

"Despite a rough 2020 campaign in New England with few playmakers around him, Newton completed 65.8 percent of his passes. Still hard to take down in the pocket, he could inject some life into a Bears offense that ranked 22nd in scoring with Trubisky and Foles at the helm this past season.The Bears would need to keep searching for their long-term answer under center, but Newton is the best option to help them bridge that gap in 2021."

Chicago is not the betting favorite to land Watson or Wilson at this point. In fact, both are among some of the bigger long-shots among teams interested in the All-Pro pair.

With Chicago having superior skill position players than the Patriots had in 2020, the Bears could be the sort of landing spot that revives Newton’s career. David Montgomery, the Bears RB1, scored eight touchdowns on the ground in 2020.

The leading TD-scorer on the Patriots was Rex Burkhead…with three. Having a substantial threat in the backfield would open up the passing game for Newton, who thrived alongside D’Angelo Williams and Christian McCaffery in the Queen City.

Assuming Chicago is able to get a deal done with Allen Robinson, Newton would have a clear WR1 to establish winning chemistry with. With two elite weapons, he would have the best chance for a championship since he left Auburn football for the NFL.

Let’s hope the Windy City considers having a War Eagle icon under center in 2021.