Panthers Called out for Excluding Cam Newton in ‘Greatest of All Time’ Tweet

The Carolina Panthers are taking a lot of heat for what they recently did — or rather, didn’t do — to Cam Newton. On Wednesday, the Panthers took to Twitter and asked which player from the team is the greatest of all time. Newton, who led the Panthers to a Super Bowl in 2015, was not one of the options to choose from as the Panthers listed Julius Peppers, Steve Smith Sr., and Luke Kuechly.

That did not sit well with the Twitter universe. A Twitter account named Everything Georgia took aim at the Panthers for excluding Newton, a native of Atlanta. CBS Sports HQ weighed in on Newton, saying he’s the only player in NFL history to throw for 30 touchdowns, have a 99.0 passer rating, and rush for 10 touchdowns in a single season. And one Twitter user wrote: “Cam Newton single-handedly drug your mediocre at best organization to the Super Bowl and won your only MVP award. Not making room for him on this discussion/list is disrespectful AF.”

It’s likely the Panthers won’t comment on the matter since they released Newton back in March. However, there’s no denying what Newton brought to the Panthers since he was drafted by the team in 2011. It started his rookie season when he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl that year and in 2013 after leading the Panthers to a 12-4 record. However, 2015 was a career year for Newton, registering 3,837 yards, 35 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 636 rushing yards, and 10 touchdowns, which led to him being named MVP.

The last two years have been challenging for Newton due to him battling injuries. In 2019, the Auburn alum only played in two games due to an injured foot. The Panthers cut him in March despite having one year remaining on his contract. He reportedly talked to the New England Patriots in the early stages of free agency, but Newton has yet to sign with a team.

“Cam is one of the all-time greats in Panthers history,” owner David Tepper said after cutting Newton. “If you ask any of our fans for some of their most memorable moments, I’m willing to bet that most of them would include Cam – electrifying plays, giving away footballs after touchdowns, fun celebrations and big wins. His competitiveness and drive are rare.”