Cam Newton Says He Would Back Up Three Alabama QBs in the NFL

Free agent quarterback Cam Newton has made it no secret that he wants to return to the NFL as a starter, claiming that there aren't 32 quarterbacks in the league that are better than him. However, he did give a list of nine current QBs and three incoming rookie QBs that he would actually serve as a backup for, including three former Crimson Tide players.

The first of three that the former Auburn QB listed was Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa. In Tagovailoa's three years in the league, he has passed for 8,015 yards, 52 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

While the former Alabama product has made improvements each year in the NFL in terms of passing for more yards and completing more touchdowns, his different injuries that he has received each year has resulted in him playing no more than 13 games in a season.

The second QB that Newton listed who formerly went to The Capstone was Bryce Young. In Young's three seasons at Alabama, he went for 8,356 passing yards, 80 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

During his college career, he was the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the 2021 Heisman Trophy, the 2021 Maxwell Award, the 2021 Davey O'Brien Award, the 2021 Manning Award, as well as many others.

Get our free mobile app

The final former Alabama QB that Newton said he wouldn't mind backing up is Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts. In his three years in the league so far, Hurts has passed for 7,906 yards, 44 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, along with him rushing for 1,898 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Hurts made a huge leap in his play this past season in the NFL, coming in second place in the NFL MVP voting, leading the Eagles to a league-best 14-3 regular season record and leading his team to the Super Bowl.

Other current QBs that Newton said he would backup are Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, Malik Willis, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, and Sam Howell, while the other incoming rookies were C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson.

Winning the Heisman Trophy and BCS National Championship in 2010 at Auburn, Newton was chosen as the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.

In his time with the Panthers, he became the franchise's all-time passing leader in yards and touchdowns, won the 2015 NFL MVP Award and led his team to Super Bowl 50. Newton went to the New England Patriots in 2020 and back to the Panthers in 2021 before being a free agent all of last season.

For the first time since drafting Newton, the Carolina Panthers again have the number overall pick in the NFL Draft and are almost certainly targeting Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud or Bryce Young.