Bringing Cam Newton back to the Panthers sure will be entertaining, if not successful
READ MORE
Cam returns to the Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have confirmed they are bringing back their former quarterback, Cam Newton, in a one-year deal.
Expand All
Say this for the Carolina Panthers: They don’t stay dull for long.
The Carolina Panthers agreed to terms with former quarterback Cam Newton on Thursday, then signed him after he passed his physical. So Superman has returned, and the Panthers are going to dominate the news cycle for a while. It doesn’t get much bigger in the Carolinas than a Cam Newton comeback, unless the Panthers can also convince LaMelo Ball to give the NFL a go on Charlotte Hornet off days and then bring Steve Smith out of retirement to catch a couple of Newton’s passes.
Those last two things aren’t happening, but Newton as a Panther — again — is now, remarkably, a reality. At least it is for this season’s final eight games — Newton has only signed a one-year deal, although a multi-year deal was discussed. Novelist and favorite N.C. son Thomas Wolfe famously wrote “You Can’t Go Home Again,” but the Panthers and Newton are going to give it a try.
Newton, 32, has been looking for a new employer since the New England Patriots fired him just before the season, instead deciding to go with rookie quarterback Mac “Happy Hunting” Jones. And now, as one reader wrote to me Thursday afternoon about his reaction to this blockbuster news:
Cam?! Damn!
The Panthers (4-5) and head coach Matt Rhule made their original “You’re fired” decision on Newton about 18 months ago, first trying to trade him and then releasing him. It was messy. They went with Teddy Bridgewater instead for the 2020 season.
But so much water has flowed under the bridge since then. Bridgewater was here and gone after one year. The Panthers had ample opportunity to use the No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 draft on a quarterback, but didn’t. Sam Darnold was the new great QB hope for Carolina, until he wasn’t. And now Darnold has a throwing shoulder injury that’s going to keep him out 4-6 weeks. Or more.
So Rhule called Newton on Tuesday night and things moved quickly after that.
“Cam was talking about the future,” Rhule said Thursday of that conversation. “Cam wasn’t talking about the past. And I’m talking about the future. I’m not talking about the past.”
Said Panthers GM Scott Fitterer of Newton’s mindset: “He thinks he can put us over the top. ... He’s not Cam from 10 years ago, but he’s Cam now. ... His game has evolved.”
Newton may practice Friday and, although it sounds unlikely that he will play Sunday, a Newton start against Washington at home against old coach Ron Rivera on Nov. 21 seems likely and appropriate. And this isn’t a cameo appearance for Cam. Rhule was searching for a starting quarterback and Newton will get that chance. Ideally, things go well and he starts the season’s final seven games.
The Panthers are like an aging rock band trying to play the hits one more time, and in this case, the encore performance actually makes sense. The Panthers have a very good defense. If they could just raise their offense somewhere around the top 12-15 in the NFL, they still have a shot at reaching the playoffs as a wild card. Not a good shot, mind you. But a chance.
I’m on record writing (several times, in fact) that a Newton return would be a mistake, and that bringing him back is a lot like starting to date your ex again while conveniently forgetting why the two of you broke up in the first place.
Newton was 0-8 in his last eight starts for Carolina, remember. He couldn’t run anymore. His body was breaking down.
But to be fair, things have changed dramatically in the past few days. Darnold’s latest injury could technically be season-ending. The Panthers were now left with the exciting but inconsistent P.J. Walker — who will still start Sunday against Arizona — and journeyman backup Matt Barkley in an iffy QB room.
So signing Newton — now fully vaccinated, thankfully — is a little like grasping at straws. But Newton is a sturdy straw, one who won 68 games for the Panthers over nine years, was the No. 1 overall draft choice in 2011 and earned the NFL Most Valuable Player award in 2015. He should and apparently will wear No. 1 again. The fact that owner David Tepper is still paying Bridgewater, and Darnold and now Newton again? All because the two guys supposed to replace Newton never quite did?
No problem — Tepper can afford it.
And in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, where opposing fans have dominated the home crowd too often this season, Newton will bring the juice.
No one ever was able to play to the crowd like Newton in his prime. At his best, the man was a walking, contagious bundle of joy. He will sell some tickets, and he will make people nostalgic, and he will find a way to give away some footballs, and none of that is a bad thing. Maybe he will win a lot, too, although I’m not convinced of that part.
That’s because Newton is not in his prime anymore. Far from it. But as far as the Panthers having this interest and conversation with him — a conversation first reported by The Observer on Thursday morning?
After the mess the Panthers have made for two straight years at quarterback, they needed to have it, and they’re not going to hurt anybody other than maybe Walker’s and Darnold’s pride by signing Newton. You can call this panicky or you can call it bold, and it’s a little bit of both. But the Panthers had to do something. They had turned both boring and bad.
Ultimately, I don’t think signing Newton is going to make a lot of difference in Carolina’s win-loss record this year — he can’t play offensive line. I picked them 8-9 before the season; I still think they’ll wind up 8-9. But Newton’s signing (and of course he will play quickly) sure will be entertaining, and fans know that inherently.
Even though it’s not a magic bullet, I’m glad Cam Newton is coming back to Carolina, for the fun factor if nothing else.
The Panthers are 1-5 over their past six games. They’ve scored exactly one touchdown over the past 12 quarters. It’s time to shake it up.
And there’s never been a disruptor quite like Cam.
This story was originally published November 11, 2021 at 10:45 AM with the headline "Bringing Cam Newton back to the Panthers sure will be entertaining, if not successful."
