Could Cam Newton save the Dallas Cowboys season following Dak Prescott’s injury?

The Dallas Cowboys suffered more losses than the one Sunday night in prime time to quarterback Tom Brady and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cowboys also lost their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.

Dak Prescott suffered a hand injury late into the 19-3 blowout loss to the Bucs, resulting in him heading to the locker room in the fourth quarter. It was later revealed that Prescott had suffered a fracture in the joint just above the right thumb on his throwing hand that will require surgery.

This likely means Prescott will be placed on injured reserve soon and could be out half the season, if not longer. The team should know more on Monday after consulting with their medical staff. In the meantime, the Cowboys are publicly rallying around backup quarterback Cooper Rush. The team also has passer Will Grier on the practice squad.

But the focus will undoubtedly shift to whether there might possibly be a free agent passer available who could win you more games than Rush or Grier in the coming weeks. And the name that seems to make the most sense, at least to some fans, is Cam Newton.

The former number one overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft is a former league MVP (2015) and a three-time Pro Bowl passer. Newton is also only 33-years old. Unfortunately, there’s also a reason he’s currently unemployed.

After spending nine years with the Carolina Panthers, which included an appearance in Super Bowl 50, Newton lasted just one season with the New England Patriots in 2020 after throwing for eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He did complete 65.8% of his passes in New England and ran in 12 rushing touchdowns. The Patriots would end that season with a 7-9 record but parted ways with him the very next offseason during final roster cuts.

Newton returned to Carolina last November after an injury suffered by their starting quarterback, Sam Donald. But he’d end up losing all five of his starts, throwing for four touchdowns and five interceptions while completing just 54.8% of his passes. Newton would also rush for five more scores.

Currently a free agent, Newton is certainly the biggest name on the open market. Based on his recent stint in Carolina though, it’s clear the 11-year veteran isn’t the dynamic playmaker he once was. Although he still shows the rushing ability that make him a unique dual-threat.

And while introducing a rushing threat to the quarterback position might be exactly what the Cowboys need right now to make their anemic offense function considering their patchwork offensive line and lack of receiver depth, the more conservative Dallas’ front office has often shied away from making the splashy move. Signing Newton would certainly qualify as just that.

Instead, I’d expect the Dallas Cowboys’ brass to keep supporting both Rush and Grier as legitimate fill-ins for Dak Prescott. And if they do make a move for a quarterback, don’t expect it to be one that moves the needle much. Dallas will most likely just focus on trying to stay afloat until their franchise quarterback returns.