Former NFL MVP Cam Newton has not played competitive football since January of 2022, but the former Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots QB is not ready to give up on his NFL career.

Newton returned to his alma mater, Auburn University, last month to participate in the program's Pro Day and show attending teams that he's still able to compete at the highest level. 

Newton then posted a video to his YouTube channel clarifying his intentions and expectations as he searches for a new NFL contract.

"There's a narrative that's out there that says, you know, 'Cam does not want to be a backup,'" Newton said in the video. "I never said I didn't want to be a backup. So I'm gonna take this time to explain who and in what situation I would want to be a backup to and for. I think that's what everybody wants to know anyways."

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According to Newton, the ideal backup quarterback is a team player that is committed to the growth and development of the starter. Derek Anderson and Joe Webb did that for him during his career, and now, he is prepared to do that for someone else.

When making his list for what teams he would play for and quarterbacks he would back up, Newton said he was considering what young quarterbacks he believed he could "serve" and take under his wing . The list came out as follows:

Deshaun Watson – Cleveland

Lamar Jackson – Baltimore (TBD)

Justin Fields – Chicago

Tua Tagovailoa – Miami

Malik Willis – Tennessee

C.J. Stroud – TBD

Bryce Young – TBD

Anthony Richardson – TBD

Jalen Hurts – Philadelphia

Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay (New York)

Josh Allen – Buffalo

Sam Howell – Washington

Yep…You're reading that right. Cam Newton threw Malik Willis and the Tennessee Titans out there as a team he would join as a backup quarterback.

Should the Titans part ways with Ryan Tannehill and somehow decide to roll into the 2023 season with a quarterback room of Malik Willis and Cam Newton, that will tell you all you need to know about Tennessee's competitive window. Given the recent contract extension to Jeffery Simmons and the Titans staying active in free agency, that scenario does not seem like a realistic possibility. 

Ran Carthon and Mike Vrabel are trying to win, and if Tannehill isn't the quarterback in 2023, it will be because they brought in someone they believe can help them win immediately and also be the long-term starter. It won't be to roll with Willis under center. He still has a lot to prove, even if Newton believes he can be a franchise quarterback.

Newton still has value to teams that have mobile quarterbacks and are in need of backups/depth in the QB room. But until he demonstrates otherwise in this stage of his career, it's hard to view him as anything other than a mentor to develop a young, athletic QB. 

While Newton assures that "health is not even an issue now," the fit in Tennessee just is not there in 2023.