By Jordan Long
The Carolina Panthers are going to release quarterback Cam Newton. This comes after they signed free-agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a 3-year $63 million contract. Bridgewater is expected to be the starter. Newton is now a free agent.
Newton has been the Panthers’ starting quarterback since they selected him with the 1st pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. In the regular season, Newton guided the Panthers to a record of 68-55-1. During those years, Newton passed for 29,041 yards and 182 touchdowns. He was picked off 108 times. Newton’s top season was in 2015 where he tossed for 3,837 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He ended up winning the NFL MVP that year.
The Panthers made the postseason 4 times with him. The furthest they advanced was Super Bowl 50. Newton struggled in the game. He was 18 of 41 passing for 265 yards and 1 interception. He was sacked 6 times and fumbled twice. Carolina lost the game 24-10.
Last season Newton played in a career low 2 games while dealing with a Lisfranc fracture in his foot. In those games, Newton totaled 572 yards passing and 1 interception. The Panthers ended up with a 5-11 record missing the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row.
The Panthers were headed in a different direction at the end of the year. They fired Head Coach Ron Rivera and hired Steve Wilks to take over. The Panthers knew they wanted Bridgewater to be the starting quarterback. They had no choice but to cut Newton, saving them $19.1 million in cap space for 2020.
With Newton now a free agent, he can agree to a contract with any team. When healthy, he can help a team win. Newton uses the whole field to find the open receivers for first downs or longer. When the pocket breaks down, he runs the football to move the chains. Teams could be interested in him as a backup. He can still play the NFL game and having a backup quarterback with experience is key. Newton should still have the chance to stay in the NFL.
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