Why the Los Angeles Chargers passed on Cam Newton

Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was a player of interest for the Los Angeles Chargers before they went in a different direction.

There appears to be no real timeframe regarding a potential new destination for former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. His glittering time with the franchise came to an end this offseason and the 2015 NFL MVP has yet to find another team.

That’s not to say there hasn’t been some sort of interest in a player that could potentially still have plenty to offer and NFL franchise going forward. However, any potential suitors would undoubtedly need to do their own independent medical evaluations on a quarterback that has suffered serious foot and shoulder injuries during his final two seasons with the Carolina Panthers.

One such team was reportedly the Los Angeles Chargers, who took a close look at what Newton could offer before eventually going in a different direction.

Speaking on CBS Sports Radio, Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn had this to say on the possibility of acquiring Newton.

"“Absolutely, Cam is a tremendous quarterback. He’s been MVP of this league, he’s led his team to the Super Bowl and he’s healthy now from what I hear. Cam is going to be on somebody’s roster and he’s going to help somebody win a few games, but yeah, we did take a look at that, sure.” “I feel really good about the quarterback room that I have. With Tyrod Taylor, Easton Stick — those are guys that a lot of people don’t talk about, but he was a Division I AA — he won like three national championships. He’s a hell of a leader, hell of a professional and I think he has a bright future in this league one day.”"

This seems to be the current trend regarding Newton. There is undoubtedly some significant interest in the player. But there also appears to be a real unwillingness to pull the trigger on signing the signal-caller.