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Anthony Lynn ‘absolutely’ considered signing Cam Newton

How close were the Bolts to signing the former league MVP?

NFL: SEP 12 Buccaneers at Panthers Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

After all the hullabaloo and back-and-forth between media members about the Chargers being a great fit for Cam Newton prior to the draft, head coach Anthony Lynn finally set the record straight on how the Bolts approached a potential scenario where they brought in the former MVP.

In a recent interview with Zach Gelb on CBS Sports Radio, Lynn admitted that the Chargers “absolutely” took a look at Newton, but in the end decided to stick with the pairing of Tyrod Taylor and a rookie quarterback, which ultimately became Justin Herbert.

Still, Lynn had high praise for the veteran, even if he isn’t going to don the lightning bolt in 2020:

“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.”

It’s still a bit crazy to think that Newton has yet to sign with a team, especially after seeing some of the names that have been inked already, but it was also made known that Cam wanted to be a starter. That was prior to the NFL draft, though, and Newton has recently recanted that statement and made it clear to potential teams he would welcome the opportunity to compete for a starting job as a backup. The latter is looking to be the only case that realistic now since roughly the entire NFL has their starting QB in place.

The Bears were a potential landing spot but they traded for Nick Foles. The Jaguars were another one, but they signed Mike Glennon to provide a veteran presence behind Gardner Minshew. The Chargers were truly one of the best potential spots until they committed to a rookie with the sixth-overall pick.

Now, who has the right combination of money, room, and ideal situation? That’s going to be a tough find for Cam. But I really hope he gets another shot this year. The NFL isn’t done with him yet.