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Former NFL quarterbacks Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton all say they want to return to the league. Newton recently threw at Auburn's Pro Day to prove his arm was healthy and that he still had it.
He followed that up by posting a video saying he was willing to be a backup - something many teams were probably unaware of. Newton shared a list of quarterbacks he'd like to back up, ranging from Aaron Rodgers to Anthony Richardson.
Griffin echoed that sentiment on Twitter and challenged Kaepernick to do the same.
He said:
"In Honor of [Cam Newton], here is my Manifesto of QBs I’m willing to be a backup for this year: All 32 NFL STARTERS and Patrick Mahomes twice. Let’s see your manifesto [Colin Kaepernick]."
Newton listed several quarterbacks he'd enjoy being a backup for if it meant getting back to the NFL. Griffin has now done the same.
Why Cam Newton made an announcement that Colin Kaepernick never did
Colin Kaepernick, who hasn't played since 2017, has worked out for teams and stated he wants to return to football, but hasn't made an announcement like Newton.
To his credit, though, Kaepernick never had the personality, aura or confidence of Newton. Most quarterbacks wouldn't have to admit that they're willing to be a backup, but most quarterbacks aren't Cam Newton.
He maintained his belief that there aren't 32 quarterbacks better than him, indicating that he believes he could be a starter still. he then admitted that he was willing to be a backup. Is Colin Kaepernick that willing to get back into football? Robert Griffin III wants to find out.
It's likely that Kaepernick would have happily been a backup. When he tried out for the Las Vegas Raiders, he probably wasn't thinking he'd usurp Derek Carr then and there.
It was probably implied to most teams that he was fine with sitting on the bench. For Newton, that wasn't always clear. His confidence and personality would have made it an interesting backup situation, one that a lot of teams wouldn't have liked. Now, that may not be an issue.
