3 quarterbacks SF 49ers must avoid if they move Jimmy Garoppolo

No. 3 QB the SF 49ers Must Avoid: Cam Newton

There hasn’t exactly been a lot of chatter about this, but someone will inevitably bring it up: soon-to-be former New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton to San Francisco.

The Pats have indicated Newton won’t be back after he inked his one-year deal with New England to replace now-Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady last offseason. And while the 2015 MVP still has all the name pedigree to suggest he could provide an upgrade over Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021, the simple fact is Newton hasn’t quite been the same player since that memorable campaign in which he led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl.

There are a lot of reasons why, of course, including the Panthers subjecting Newton to untold amounts of on-field abuse, which led to a series of notable injuries. Despite a modest bounce-back campaign in 2018, Newton’s numbers have consistently dropped ever since, including a 2020 campaign in which he tossed more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (eight) for only the second time in his 10-year career.

While Newton’s rushing prowess returned to form somewhat with the Patriots — 592 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground — Kyle Shanahan’s offense hasn’t been one known for exploiting this facet, at least not since the days of Washington’s Robert Griffin III back in 2012.

Sure, Newton would likely come cheap. And he could be a stopgap option until the SF 49ers found something more long term.

But considering Newton will turn 32 years old before the start of the regular season and has been on a decline since his MVP year, the Niners would be much wiser to explore other contingencies instead.