4 free agent quarterbacks Steelers could sign for added competition
By Tommy Jaggi
Cam Newton
No, Cam Newton did not have a very good season at all with the Patriots last year. He threw 8 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, and he led the team to just a 7-8 record as a starter. However, there is still quite a bit of intrigue here.
At 31, Newton is still seven years younger than Ben Roethlisberger, and it certainly shows in his movement skills. The Patriots quarterback rushed for nearly 600 yards and 12 touchdowns on 4.3 yards per attempt this year. In addition, his 7.2 yards per attempt was about an entire yard more than Roethlisberger’s in 2020 (6.3), and Newton still has plenty of arm strength to drive the ball down the field – something Big Ben clearly lacks at this point in his career.
If all things were equal, perhaps Newton would even be given a chance to come in and compete for a starting role, but we know that Mike Tomlin wouldn’t allow that to happen with how massive Ben Roethlisberger’s contract numbers are in 2021. Still, Newton is a very cheap option who was once a league MVP. At the very least, he could be a solid number two option for Pittsburgh.