Cam Newton: A Season-by-Season Breakdown of His Rise and Decline

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton might be at a crossroads in his career. He has been the [...]

By Brian Jones

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton might be at a crossroads in his career. He has been the leader of the Panthers since being drafted by the team in 2011, but things have changed the last couple of seasons due to injuries and inconsistent play. Currently, Newton is dealing with a foot injury and that has led to Kyle Allen taking over at QB. And while Newton is a better QB than Allen, the backup has won four consecutive games and has not lost a start dating back to last year.

There are reports of teams being interested in trading for Newton but the trade deadline is next week. As for Newton's contract, he has one more year remaining before he becomes a free agent. So things could get really interesting for Newton who has been one of the more dynamic players in the NFL.

Here's a look at a season-by-season breakdown of Newton.

2011: Rookie Year

This is the year where Newton made a name for himself. After winning the Heisman and leading the Auburn Tigers to a national championship, Newton was drafted No. 1 overall by the Panthers and he threw for 4,021 yards and 21 touchdowns that year as well as rushing for 706 yards and 14 touchdowns. Newton was named to the Pro Bowl and he won Offensive Rookie of the Year.

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2012: Keep it Going

Newton put up strong numbers in 2012, but the Panthers finished with a 7-9 record. He threw for over 3,800 yards and 19 touchdowns, but his completion percentage was at 57 percent. He was once again strong in the running game, rushing for over 700 yards and eight touchdowns.

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2013: Playoff Debut

Newton was able to reach the playoffs for the first time, leading the Panthers to a 12-4 record winning the NFC South division. In his first playoff game, Newton struggled to get anything going, throwing for 267 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and he was sacked five times against the San Francisco 49ers. The Panthers lost to the 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs, but things would get better for Newton down the road.

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2014: Step Back and Injuries

After reaching the playoffs in 2013, Newton and the Panthers took a step back in 2014. The Auburn alum was battling injuries all throughout the year and it led to him missing two games. He threw a career-low 18 touchdowns and the Panthers finished with a 7-8-1 record.

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2015: MVP and Super Bowl

Newton was healthy in 2015 and it led to him having his best season as a pro. Along with rushing for 10 touchdowns, Newton threw for 35 scores with only 10 picks and he led the team to a 15-1 record and No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The Panthers went on to reach the Super Bowl only to lose to the Denver Broncos in what also turned out to be Peyton Manning's final game.

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2016: Last in The South

After reaching the Super Bowl in 2015, the Panthers finished last in the NFC South in 2016 with a 6-10 record. Newton completed just 52 percent of his passes with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His completion percentage was a career-low.

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2017: Bounce Back

Newton didn't match his MVP numbers in 2017, but he helped the Panthers get back on track, clinching a spot in the playoffs with an 11-5 record. Newton finished the season with 3,302 yards, 22 touchdowns with 16 interceptions and a passer rating of 80.7.

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2018: Injury shortened season

Newton was having one of his best seasons in 2018. But his season had to be but short due to a shoulder injury which he had surgery on earlier this year. Newton completed 68 percent of his passes which is a career-high for him and he recorded a passer rating of 94.2 which is the second-highest total in his career. The Panthers finished the season with a 7-9 record.

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