After nearly 3 years in inconsistent situations, Cam Newton is finally returning back to his original home in Carolina. This afternoon, Cam Newton and Carolina agreed to terms on a 1-year deal worth a total of 10 million dollars and 4.5 million of which is fully guaranteed. With the season at the halfway mark, teams are looking to make moves for the last stretch for the playoffs and Cam Newton is a major part of this push. 

It is undeniable that Cam Newton is the greatest Carolina Panther ever. In his 9 years with the relatively young franchise, he received three pro bowl selections, one league MVP, and a Super Bowl appearance. Although Cam and the Panthers saw success in those 9 seasons, they did not feel as though Cam was the future for the organization. Following the 2019 season, Coach Ron Rivera was fired, and soon came a new coach in Matt Rhule, who made it clear that Cam Newton was not in his future plans. Shortly after Rhule was hired, the Carolina Panthers released Cam Newton and after 9 years, Newton would be in search of a new home. 

The underlying story here is that Cam Newton was never released because of his ability. In fact, Cam Newton’s last fully healthy year was in 2018 as he led the team to an 11-5 season and a wild card spot. Unfortunately, the Panthers would lose in the wild card round, which would be Newton’s final playoff game for the team. Newton never played himself out of Carolina, but rather a case of injuries and “what have you done lately” forced the team to find another answer.

In his one season with the New England Patriots, he did what he did best, score points any way necessary. In 2020, Newton scored 12 times on the ground and 8 touchdowns through the air. While it wasn’t his best season, in a year where the Patriots literally had no identity, Cam Newton did what he could with what he had on the roster. 

Years later, the Carolina Panthers are bringing Cam Newton back in an effort to replace an injured Sam Darnold. Darnold is expected to be out nearly 6 weeks, which will see him come back closer toward the playoffs. With Head Coach Matt Rhule being the same coach involved in releasing Newton the first time, it will be interesting to see things play out. 

Carolina currently has the worst overall record in the NFC south and struggling to get back to .500, however, they are top in the divisional standings with 2 out of their 4 wins coming against divisional opponents. With 4 more divisional games to play, Carolina has a giant task to incorporate a hungry and motivated Cam Newton into the mix. If the team can create a spark with Newton, the Panthers may just find a way to become relevant in the playoff hunt. 

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-By: LeMarkus Bailey