Former NFL MVP quarterback Cam Newton reportedly threw more than 30 passes at Auburn's pro day Tuesday.
Newton took part in the session at Auburn, where he won a Heisman Trophy and a national championship in the 2010 season, to throw to his brother, Caylin Newton -- a former quarterback at Howard University who finished his career as a wide receiver at Auburn and William & Mary.
Newton didn't play in the NFL in 2022. He was last seen on the field in Week 16, 2021, for the Carolina Panthers after rejoining the club that drafted him in 2011 for a five-start run following a string of injuries for the club.
Newton didn't talk after Auburn's pro day, but his brother did.
"This was him showing love to me," Caylin Newton said, via the Associated Press. "He doesn't owe anybody anything. He has had an amazing journey, an amazing career in the NFL. He has nothing to prove to anybody. ... He came to show his ability, show he still has it.
"I think, for him, this was a selfless act. But it was also to show and prove to everybody he's not sitting around. He's still got it. Whatever organization wants to get a winning quarterback, his number's still open and available."
When announcing he would throw to Caylin at Auburn's pro day on social media, Cam suggested he should still have an NFL job.
"Tell me how these randoms keep getting jobs?" Newton said in a Twitter video. "Don't worry about it. I'm gonna show you. I can't wait to show you."
Newton got his session in front of NFL scouts. He showed off some solid passes, including a scrambling 50-yard toss downfield to Caylin.
The truth of the matter is that Tuesday's session might have reminded NFL teams that Newton is still available but was unlikely to change their opinion of him one way or another. A 33-year-old, 11-year veteran with three Pro Bowls and an MVP tossing against air likely won't turn heads in front offices.
Could Newton still find a job in the NFL? Absolutely. The question is, what type of job would that be? There are few open starting QB jobs at this point, barring injury or a wild turn of events. Clubs weren't interested in Newton at that level last year. A season removed isn't likely to change that. So would he sign a deal similar to the one Gardner Minshew inked with the Colts ($3.5 million for one year with playing-time incentives) to be Indy's insurance policy and aid a potential rookie QB?
Regardless, Tuesday's session brought Newton's name back into the spotlight.
"What everyone sees on the TV screen, they see his character and they see his confidence," Caylin Newton said. "They don't see the grit. They don't see how many hours he puts in. So the media has what they say about who he is. I know who he is. And anywhere he's been, they know who he is, too."
