What free agent Philip Rivers means for Cam Newton’s market and the Carolina Panthers
The uncertainty surrounding Cam Newton’s future with the Carolina Panthers has been clear since he was placed on injured reserve in November — if not earlier. But he’s far from the only intriguing free agent quarterback this offseason.
The Chargers made an expected move official Monday, parting ways with quarterback Philip Rivers after 16 years with the organization. Rivers recently moved his family to Florida, which helped ignite rumors that the Chargers would have a new starting quarterback in 2020 (the Panthers are scheduled to play Los Angeles at its new stadium next season).
Rivers’ departure doesn’t change anything about the decision Carolina has to make with Newton, the security it feels regarding the quarterback’s health or his willingness to play on a one-year deal this season.
That being said, with so many big-name quarterbacks scheduled to hit free agency come March (Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Ryan Tannehill, Jameis Winston and Teddy Bridgewater, among others), there’s going to be some movement at the position this offseason with the Panthers potentially involved.
The Panthers could keep Newton on the roster in 2020 and make a decision on his future after the year. Or many other scenarios could occur. Plenty of “what-ifs.” Here’s a look at potential ways Rivers moving on could impact things in Carolina:
What it means for the Panthers
The Panthers have to decide what’s next with Newton and then move forward. With a team that is in the midst of beginning a rebuild (see the team deciding to move on from tight end Greg Olsen), signing 38-year-old Rivers for a significant amount or length of time just doesn’t fit.
Rivers doesn’t have the time in his career to go through a whole rebuild with the Panthers. The only logical view of adding the veteran would be as a sort of stop-gap until the team drafts or signs its actual franchise quarterback, but would he want to be a part of that? The Broncos tried that in 2019 with Joe Flacco and weren’t successful.
Other available teams may be more built to win now, such as the Colts or the Titans.
It’s intriguing to think of Rivers as a potential option in Carolina, playing in Joe Brady’s new offense, but it may not be the best fit for either side.
What it means for Cam Newton
During Super Bowl week, Newton stated multiple times that he “absolutely” believes he will be with the Panthers in 2020.
But Newton’s place doesn’t appear to be as clear yet on the team side of the situation. With the Chargers picking just ahead of the Panthers in this year’s draft (sixth overall), they could be interesting trade partners. Los Angeles is in need of a quarterback and Carolina is a team that could use as many draft picks it can get. A trade that involved Newton would save the Panthers $19.1 million in cap space and bring the quarterback to a larger-market team in need of a star.
On the other side of things, Rivers becoming a free agent adds another quarterback to the musical chairs that will be in motion this spring. Teams that are ready to win now may prefer an older Rivers — who has shown an ability to stay healthy, staring in 224 consecutive games, second-most by an NFL quarterback (behind Brett Favre, 297) — rather than 30-year-old Newton, who has dealt with shoulder and foot injuries that require surgery, and forced him to miss almost all of the 2019 season.
What we do know is that this offseason is going to be a fascinating one for the quarterback position and, as we’ve heard from the beginning, Newton’s health and his corresponding future in Carolina will play a role in how things shake out.
This story was originally published February 10, 2020 at 6:50 PM.
