Cam Newton is one of the most athletically gifted quarterbacks to have ever graced the gridiron. The 34-year-old shot-caller is one of the few athletes in the world who have the lethal combination of height, strength, and speed. His physical attributes allow him to constantly excel in both running and passing, establishing him as a formidable dual-threat QB. Notably, he was able to tally 45 total touchdowns in 2015, thus winning the MVP award that season and becoming a massive name in the NFL world.

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While his career since then has been marred with injuries and controversies, one thing that fans will always look back on fondly was his debut. Newton, standing at 6’5 and weighing 248 pounds, was one of the most exciting talents in the 2011 draft. He was a physical specimen with 33.75 inches of arm length and a hand size of a massive 9.88 inches. Newton was a QB made in the lab. Hence, during the 2011 NFL Combine, the Auburn alum was the blue-chip prospect with all eyes on him. And boy did he deliver.

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For starters, Newton made a 40-yard dash in just 4.56 seconds at a speed of 17.94 mph. He also had an impressive split, with 2.60 seconds and 1.58 seconds taken for the 20-yard and 10-yard splits, respectively. As far as jumps are concerned, Newton made a vertical leap of 35.0 inches — 7 inches more than an average NBA player’s jump. The QB completed the 3-cone drill in just 6.92 seconds and ended the day with a 20-yard shuttle in 4.18 seconds. His Pro Day stats were also impressive. Take a look:

The NFL graded his performances and awarded him the best QB rank in the 2011 Combine with a total score of 93. He was ranked first and awarded a score of 97 on the production score. Meanwhile, in athleticism, he was awarded 90 points and ranked second in the combine. His impressive combine performances led him to get signed by the Carolina Panthers in the first round.

His career started well, but as we know, it has been a meteoric downfall for the once blue-chipped prospect. The former Panthers QB has been sitting on the couch as a free agent for the last 2.5 years. But why is he not playing for the NFL anymore? Has he retired? No. The truth, unfortunately, is far too startling.

Cam Newton Is “Interested” In Returning; The Teams Aren’t

The last time Cam Newton graced the gridiron was in 2021 for the Cardiac Cats. The former NFL MVP arguably had his worst outing in what would be his final season, throwing for just 684 yards, four touchdowns, five interceptions, and five rushing scores.

While one can argue that Carolina overall had a terrible outing that season, Newton’s constant injuries since turning 30 and poor performances led to the Panthers not extending his contract. Since then, Newton has been a free agent. But does Cam not want to play in the NFL anymore? As it turns out, it is quite the opposite. Last year, the QB appeared on Dan Patrick’s show and revealed he had “a lot of interest” in returning to the NFL. However, he simply didn’t get any offers.

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When asked why he hasn’t reached out to the teams, Newton replied that NFL teams and their actions are very “intentional”. So if they don’t want a player, it’s futile trying to convince them.

“It doesn’t matter how many times you call, if they don’t want you, they’re not going to pick up.”

The 34-year-old free agent still hasn’t found a team to play in the NFL. While his talent has always been there, it’s his intimidating personality and slew of injury issues that potentially scare teams. However, Newton seems to have gotten a new lease on life with a killer podcast “4th &1” and lucrative investments in several ventures like the UFC, Fellaship Cigar Bar, Hats by Alberto, and many more.

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