Cam Newton Might End up With Bears or Chargers, Colin Cowherd Says

Cam Newton is on Injured Reserve and is in line to return to the Carolina Panthers in 2020, per his contract. However, that doesn’t mean that outsiders believe he will be back in Charlotte. Sports radio host Colin Cowherd is one man that believes Newton will actually suit up for a different team next season.

During his show on Thursday, Cowherd weighed in on the discussion surrounding Newton and his future destination. He listed seven teams as potential fits but actually focused on two that he believes to be the best possible destination. In Cowherd’s opinion, the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Chargers would be the best fits based on the surrounding talent, as well as the individual needs.

While Cincinnati could be viewed as a top option due to the coaching staff benching starter Andy Dalton and relying on a rookie in Ryan Finley, Cowherd believes that Los Angeles would be a better fit due to his star power.

“The Chargers can’t sell tickets. They’ve got no juice athletically at quarterback,” Cowherd said. “Cam is juice. You can bring Cam into that locker room, and all the [Joey] Bosa’s and the [Melvin] Ingram’s and the Melvin Gordon’s and the Derwin James would be totally into a mobile quarterback that adds juice and sells tickets in LA.”

Of course, the Chargers do have an existing quarterback in place in veteran Philip Rivers, but his future with the team is not guaranteed. He is currently set to be a free agent following the season after playing out the final year of his four-year, $83.25 million contract that pays him $11 million in base salary this season.

Rivers will turn 38 years old in December, which could ramp up questions about a potential retirement. However, the coaching staff has expressed the belief that Rivers will be back in the building next season while he has said that there is no timeline to get a deal done.

With mere weeks remaining in the year, the belief is that the Chicago Bears will be searching for an upgrade at quarterback due to the play of Mitch Trubisky. The former second overall pick from 2017 has been viewed as inconsistent while throwing for 1,390 yards, 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. For Cowherd, the Bears starter is a bust and must be replaced.

“Win now, because Trubisky’s a bust. I hate to say that, but he is,” Cowherd says. “They can’t afford another college kid that doesn’t work. [General manager] Ryan Pace gets another college kid that doesn’t work, Ryan Pace is never a GM again. Cam’s not a bust.”

With Newton set to enter the final season of his contract, there is a growing belief that he will be traded or released. The Panthers can save $19.1 million in cap space if they cut him prior to June 1. The new league year also begins in mid-March, which is the first opportunity for teams to make trades.

At this point, the belief is that Chicago is the best destination, but there could be other destinations in play. Cincinnati and Los Angeles will both be considered possibilities.

(Photo Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty)