Former MVP QB names only team he'd play for

Newton is nearly one decade removed from his 2015 MVP (which was also his last Pro Bowl season) and his last snap came at the end of the 2021 campaign with the Carolina Panthers. After spending the first nine years of his career with the Panthers from 2011-19, Newton suited up under Bill Belichick's New England Patriots during the 2020 season. That was his last year where he played at least 10 games.

Since being let go by the Patriots earlier this month, Belichick has been seen as one of the favorites to become the new lead man with the Atlanta Falcons. Recent reports, however, indicate that a Belichick-Falcons partnership may not be a foregone conclusion.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick played eight games with Carolina in 2021, going 69-for-126 for 684 passing yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions and had a career-worst 64.4 passer rating as the team went 0-5 in his five starts. Newton showed that he still had plenty of speed left to burn though, adding 47 rushing attempts for 230 yards and five scores.

The 34-year-old grew up just outside of Atlanta in nearby College Park, Georgia. During an Atlanta Hawks game in December, Newton "auditioned" to be the team's signal-caller when he appeared at mid-court for some in-game entertainment during a timeout.

The Falcons went 7-10 for the third straight season in 2023 and again, had issues at quarterback.

Second-year pro Desmond Ridder was benched and re-inserted as the starter multiple times and ultimately finished the campaign with a 64.2% completion percentage for 2,836 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for an 83.4 passer rating across 15 games (13 starts). He added 53 carries for 193 rushing yards and a team-high five touchdowns on the ground.

Taylor Heinicke posted a 54.4% completion percentage for 890 passing yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions for a 74.7 passer rating in five games (four starts). The 30-year-old registered 124 rushing yards and one score via 15 carries as well.