Cam Newton’s Panthers Release is Official, and Fans Are Weighing In

Tuesday morning, it was reported that the Carolina Panthers would be releasing quarterback Cam Newton. He had been on the trade block since the beginning of the new league year on March 18, but a deal had not surfaced. The team made the move official on Tuesday afternoon, confirming that Newton was no longer on the roster.

With this release, the former first overall pick is now eligible to sign with any interested team. He should have at least one option ahead of the 2020 NFL season, especially after he passed a physical on Tuesday, but the fans are less concerned at this point in time. They are more focused on the decision-making process that led to Newton’s ultimate release. These fans want to know what the plan is for the future.

There were several members of the fanbase weighing in on Tuesday, making their feelings about the move explicitly clear. Some were very angry at the franchise for cutting ties with the former 2015 league MVP while others were happy for a new chapter in team history.

Disgust

When Newton was released, there were many fans that didn’t know how to put their feelings into words. They were unhappy, but the perfect phrase was not surfacing in their minds. Instead, they just focused on one key term.

Many members of the Carolina fanbase wanted the team to know that they are very disgusted with this decision. Newton had one more year on his contract, and they wanted to see him suit up in the No. 1 jersey once again.

Times Change

The Carolina Panthers released Newton on Tuesday and proved that the long-running rumor was accurate. However, this move was completely in opposition to a previous statement by newly-hired head coach Matt Rhule.

As many fans pointed out on Tuesday, the team had actually posted an article about Newton’s future in Charlotte earlier in the offseason. The headline read: “Matt Rhule makes it clear he wants to coach Cam Newton in 2020.” This is no longer the case.

Bum

There are some Panthers fans that were happy to see Newton leave. They have been upset with him since Super Bowl 50 and believe that he shouldn’t have walked out of his postgame interview. These fans are now ready to see Teddy Bridgewater under center.

Newton has often received criticism for the way that he dresses or the manner that he conducts himself off the field. Whether this is deserved or not, some of the fans are just happy to no longer worry about it.

Tears

Some members of the fanbase were happy to see Newton no longer on the roster, but the vast majority was seemingly heartbroken. They had so much fun watching the former Clemson star shine during his tenure with the team, and they can’t believe that it’s now over

As many fans showed with animated gifs, there is nothing wrong with crying about Newton’s release. After all, this is the man that led the team to a 15-1 record and an appearance in Super Bowl 50.

Patriots

With  Newton’s release becoming official, there were immediate questions about where he would land. Some members of the fanbase even declared that they would be ditching the Panthers in favor of Newton’s new home. They just wanted to support him instead of his former team.

One of the top options listed was New England. There is an expectation that the Patriots will be adding another quarterback after Tom Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They fully believe that Newton will be this man.

Handled Poorly

There have been seemingly constant rumors about Newton and his standing with the Panthers since the midpoint of the 2019 campaign. There was an expectation that he would be traded or released at the start of the new league year. However, the team reiterated that the former first overall pick would remain on the roster.

In the eyes of the fans, the manner in which Newton’s situation was handled was just terrible. They didn’t like the messages from Rhule about how he wanted to coach Newton. They also didn’t appreciate the constant rumors.

Extreme Measures

While many fans were upset about the decision and wanted to explain this is in detail, others took a different route. They wanted the team to know that they are upset and will no longer be speaking to them.

Some Panthers fans were so upset that they decided to completely block the team on Twitter. They didn’t want to see any updates about draft picks or free-agent acquisitions.

(Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)