Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Cam Newton worked out with Odell Beckham Jr. and it changes everything.
It’s not every day Cam Newton works out with Odell Beckham Jr. on a football field.
Wait, what? Yes, that happened over the weekend, as illustrated by ESPN’s Field Yates’ tweet of the practice. There was a minute-long video showing the highlights of the former NFL MVP working out with the electrifying wide receiver of the Cleveland Browns. Though it could just be another workout, what’s the deal with all the production value? What on earth is going on here?
Newton has not played an NFL snap since Week 2. He succumbed to a season-ending foot injury in what proved to be his last season as the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback. Newton’s longtime Panthers coach Ron Rivera was fired mid-season. While successor Matt Rhule said he wanted Newton in 2020, that was a lie, as he signed Teddy Bridgewater and released Newton.
So while it might have just been a well-choreographed throwing session, maybe there is something we’re not seeing from Newton putting in the work with Beckham on the field. What does it all mean? It could mean anything, or it could mean nothing. But we don’t know and that’s what’s so utterly fascinating here.
Cam Newton’s workout with Odell Beckham Jr. has us all asking questions.
Is Newton thinking about joining Beckham on the Browns? No, that’s not a good landing spot for him. Cleveland has Newton’s Heisman Trophy brother Baker Mayfield firmly entrenched as the starting quarterback. The Browns also signed journeyman Case Keenum, who is a very comparable prototype to Mayfield, as his backup.
So Newton won’t be the one to take the Browns to the Super Bowl, as there any chance Beckham and Newton could link up on a new team together? Well, Cleveland would have to trade Beckham’s massive contract. He has four more years left of the five-year, $90 million contract he originally inked with the New York Giants. Beckham won’t be a free agent until spring 2024.
While Beckham could totally try to force a trade out of town, the Browns seem to be on the upswing heading into 2020. They have a promising head coach in Kevin Stefanski and a capable general manager in Andrew Berry. Together, they’ll be the adults in the room the Browns have long needed. They’ll start winning, but it remains to be seen if Beckham will be part of that equation.
Though it’s quite the parlay Beckham and Newton could be teammates together one day, let’s not count on it. What this video from their workout is trying to tell us is there are no issues with Newton’s health and he’s ready to be signed by any NFL team that wants him. He should want to be a starter because he is a starter, but he might embrace a backup role in the right situation.
Of course, Newton will need to be checked out by a team’s medical staff before he signs somewhere, but this latest workout of his with Beckham gives us 60 seconds worth of footage to know he’s healthy and ready to get back to work. If this video prominently featuring Beckham helps Newton get a job before the 4th of July, that means the video clearly served its purpose.
Newton is ready to begin his new NFL chapter, showcasing he’s healthy enough to play in 2020.