Cam Newton is the best quarterback in the Carolina Panthers’ history. The Panthers got Newton with the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft after he won the Heisman Trophy at Auburn.
Bryce Young is the current quarterback for the Panthers. Carolina got Young with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after he won the Heisman Trophy at Alabama.
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Newton became the Panthers’ career leader in passing yards, touchdown passes and rushing touchdowns. He led Carolina to four of the franchise’s eight playoff appearances and won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in 2015 when the Panthers reached the Super Bowl.
During an appearance this week on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast, Newton was asked by host Shannon Sharpe how Carolina could get a return on its investment after trading into the No. 1 pick last year to obtain Young.
“I remember having a brief conversation with him during the Super Bowl,” Newton said. “I saw him at a party, and I think he needs to understand that voicing his opinion is important. Some quarterbacks have that freedom to, and some don’t. ‘You ain’t at the age where you can tell us who or what you want.’ But you have to because every offensive coordinator asks their quarterback this question: ‘Game on the line, third-and-4, third-and-8, got-to-have-it situation. Who would you prefer to throw the football to?’
“So game on the line or going into this season, what do you need to be successful? And he needs to have those answers for that. So talk to Bryce. Bryce has to, obviously, be open to doing it. Not doing it publicly, but doing it behind the scenes to say, ‘Listen, if we got this person in the draft, this is who I want. I need to be protected.’ And not to just think selfishly on the offensive side. Man, we need defense. We need to control and understand what our division is, because first in any type of team atmosphere you have to dominate your division first.”
The Panthers posted a 2-15 record in Young’s rookie season. In 16 games, Young completed 315-of-527 passes for 2,877 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and ran for 253 yards on 39 carries. He was sacked 62 times.
Carolina went 6-10 in Newton’s rookie season. In 16 games, Newton completed 310-of-517 passes for 4,051 yards with 21 touchdowns and 17 interceptions and ran for 706 yards and 14 touchdowns on 126 carries. He was sacked 35 times.
In Newton’s second season, the Panthers had a 7-9 record, then went 12-4 in 2013 to start a three-year run as the top team in the NFC South.
Newton’s final season as the Panthers’ regular quarterback came in 2018. In the five years since, Carolina has a record of 24-59 under six coaches – three with interim on their title.
“We have to start holding these people in management accountable,” Newton said about the Panthers.
A foot injury limited Newton to two games in 2019, and the next offseason, Carolina released the quarterback. He played for the New England Patriots in 2020. In 2021, Newton rejoined the Panthers during the season for the final five starts of his career.
Or at least the final five so far.
Newton said he still would be interested in returning to the NFL in the right situation.
“I’m not begging nobody to go back,” Newton said. “If the opportunity presents itself where somebody feels the need that Cam Newton can help our franchise, I’ll be ready. …
“I’m ready right now. That’s what people don’t understand. I still work out. It’s like riding a bike. I been playing this game since I was 7 years old.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.