Chargers Opting Not to Sign Cam Newton Will Probably Be the Dumbest Move of the NFL Offseason

The Los Angeles Chargers let Drew Brees walk after the 2005 season in order to make Philip Rivers the full-time starter. He started every single game from 2006-2019, and the team has now decided once again to move on, as Rivers is now in Indianapolis.

The Chargers have a golden opportunity to sign Cam Newton, who remains a free agent after being let go by the Carolina Panthers. Instead, the master plan is to go with... Tyrod Taylor?

The affection for Taylor on the part of the Chargers doesn't make much sense. If anyone wants to suggest age is a factor, both he and Newton are 30 and have birthdays just a few months apart. The obvious concern here is Newton's foot injury that held him out for much of the 2019 season, right?

Even so, the Chargers should absolutely still take a chance on him. Newton and Taylor both entered the league in 2011. Newton has made124 starts compared to Taylor's 46, and he has an MVP award to his name. The statistical comparisons are obviously not close, and it's not like Taylor is a lifelong Charger who deserves some kind of hometown advantage; he arrived in 2019.

Head coach Anthony Lynn reportedly prefers a more athletic, mobile quarterback. That explains letting Rivers go. However, Newton is the perfect fit for his system and has 4,806 career rushing yards. If he is deemed to be healthy, there is no better option on the market that fits what Lynn wants.

Declaring Newton the better option is not a knock against Taylor. It is just a simple fact that everyone except the Chargers organization can see.