Bears have spoken with Panthers about Cam Newton and are the odds on favorite to get him

UPDATE to the UPDATE: The Bears traded for Nick Foles...

UPDATE: According to CBS Sports’ Senior NFL Reporter Jonathan Jones, the Chicago Bears have been in contact with the Carolina Panthers about nine year veteran Cam Newton. Jones reports that even though Newton is likely to be released, the Bears don’t want to get in a bidding war for his services, thus some sort of trade compensation is possible.

March 17, 2020 - The Bears have been active through the first two days of the legal tampering period, adding Robert Quinn and Jimmy Graham to their roster, but they haven’t made a move at quarterback yet. If the latest odds are anything to consider, they could end up making a splash at that position soon.

Sports Betting experts currently have the Bears as the odds-on favorite to acquire Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. With Teddy Bridgewater now in the fold in Carolina, the 2015 NFL MVP should be on his way out.

“After the Panthers signed Teddy Bridgewater, the odds on Cam Newton’s 2020 team were adjusted significantly. The Bears actually re-opened as the favorites at +125, followed by the Chargers at +210 and the now-Tom Brady-less Patriots at +450. GM Ryan Pace hasn’t officially backed off his statements that Mitchell Trubisky will be the Week 1 starter, however the team was in the mix for Bridgewater, signalling an open-mindedness. That said, Newton will almost certainly want to be guaranteed a starting role wherever he signs, so the best betting value likely resides outside of the Windy City.” - via Sascha at Sports Betting Dime

With the wild and unpredictable nature of the quarterback carousel in this year’s offseason, it appears that things are lining up for the Bears to acquire Newton. With Bridgewater in Carolina, Philip Rivers in Indianapolis and Tom Brady rumored to end up in Tampa Bay, there are only so many other teams in need of a quarterback. The Chargers and Patriots would likely be the Bears’ only significant competition for Newton, assuming the Raiders keep Derek Carr.

Newton fought through injuries over the past two seasons, but he has plenty of starting experience and took the Panthers to Super Bowl 50. If the Bears want to make a move at the quarterback position, he would likely have a higher ceiling than any other option they would have this offseason.