Panthers release face of the franchise; now where will he land?
Cam’s cut. That’s big news.
Cam’s healthy? That’s even bigger news.
Unable to find a trade partner for their face of the franchise last decade, the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday afternoon cut quarterback Cam Newton, the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick in 2011 and 2015 league MVP.
But a Tuesday afternoon report saying Newton has passed a physical — and that his troublesome throwing shoulder (which he had surgery on a year ago) and foot (a Lisfranc injury ended his 2019 season after two games, and required surgery two months ago) — raised NFL-world eyebrows even higher.
Newton’s release really came as no surprise.
The Panthers had no leverage to trade Newton once self-announcing early last week that the team and the 30-year-old were moving on from one another. Newton strongly denied at the time it was a joint mutual decision.
The Panthers were forced to hurriedly make that announcement once they’d quickly agreed to terms on a $60 million, three-year deal with free-agent QB Teddy Bridgewater.
After a week of hell, no doubt Newton is just relieved now to be able to pick his next team, all on his own, rather than have the Panthers play a role, via a trade.
The last year of the five-year, $104 million contract extension Newton signed in 2015 went poof on Tuesday. The move cost Newton $19.1 million this year in salary, but saves the Panthers $19.1 million this year in cap space.
But might Newton make even more now with a new 2020 contract elsewhere? Sure.
Newton missed only five games over his first eight seasons in Carolina, from 2011-18, even as he battled various injury impediments in 2017 and 2018, especially a throwing-shoulder injury that required surgery in early 2019.
He recovered from that by last September and started Carolina’s first two games, but a Lisfranc foot injury ended his season early.
Newton reportedly had surgery on the foot in January. Over the past week no other NFL team knew the state of Newton’s recovery from that surgery, which further sullied his market value — at least until Tuesday afternoon.
At about the time of Newton’s release ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the QB “had a physical in Atlanta yesterday, coordinated by the Panthers and his agency team, per sources. Newton passed the physical and is healthy, per source, with both his shoulder and foot ‘checking out well and he is hungrier than ever and eager for the next opportunity.’ ”
In a statement announcing Newton’s release, Panthers GM Marty Hurney made no mention of that, saying: “Cam has meant a lot to this organization and the Carolinas. Everyone saw his performances on the field. I had the privilege of seeing how hard he worked off the field, and his commitment to this team when no one was watching. He’s the ultimate competitor and it physically hurts him to lose.
“He willed this team to victory on many occasions and will always be considered one of the greatest players in the history of this franchise. His contributions to this team, this community and the game of football will leave a lasting impact on our organization.”
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier Tuesday that the Panthers had “tried to send” Newton to the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Chargers, but those efforts proved unsuccessful, and that ultimately the Panthers “found no takers” for Newton.
Indeed, after a spate of moves last week, including other big-name QBs changing teams left and right, no team by Tuesday was showing, by action or otherwise, that it even has an available starting QB job at the moment.
If you believe by what actions we’re seeing, albeit without accompanying coach or GM testimonials, New England seems content to go into September with second-year greenhorn Jarrett Stidham and longtooth journeyman backup Brian Hoyer; Washington now has Kyle Allen as well as second-year Dwayne Haskins to duke it out; Jacksonville seems intent to proceed with second-year Gardner Minshew, after trading veteran Nick Foles to Chicago; Denver keeps trying to convince everyone that second-year Drew Lock is a lock there, especially after dumping Joe Flacco; and the Los Angeles Chargers keep covertly peddling the message they’re content with veteran Tyrod Taylor, presumably unless the rookie they’re likely to select at No. 6 overall can unseat him sooner than later.
Of that bunch above, however, all should go hard after Newton, if he’s indeed healthy. Maybe only the Chargers will abandon its plan and push hard for Newton. If so, the Chargers probably would have to fight hard with the Miami Dolphins.
That’s because almost no one believes the Dolphins — with a presumably healthy Cam Newton available — could truly be content to go into another season with long-bearded longtooth Ryan Fitzpatrick and third-year disappointment Josh Rosen 1-2 at QB, even if “FitzMagic” is reunited once again with the head coach and chief offensive strategist he had in Buffalo from 2011-12, in new Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.
Cam Newton is a far better option than either Fitzpatrick or Rosen, for a livin’ fact. Don’t be surprised if Newton winds up in Miami, PDF (pretty durn fast).
As for the Panthers, they seem set to go into 2020 training camp now with Bridgewater as starter, and ex-XFL star P.J. Walker and second-year Will Grier battling it out to be his chief backup.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said Walker signed Monday for two years at $1.57 million. As Pelissero noted, “Nice deal for a street free agent.”
What’s more, shortly after cutting Newton, the Panthers reportedly agreed to terms with the last of the top-flight free-agent wideouts available, Robby Anderson (formerly of the New York Jets). ESPN said the deal is for $20 million over two years.
Newton probably is thinking, wow, it sure would have been nice to have had a wideout of Anderson’s talents in Carolina for the past couple of years.
But that’s not his concern anymore. Onward.
Newton ought to have a new home, PDF.
JoKryk@postmedia.com
@JohnKryk
