The Carolina Panthers are in an interesting situation. They are looking for a new head coach and they could be looking for a new quarterback as Cam Newton could be traded or cut due to his health concerns. But if it was up to the players, Newton would be with the Panthers next season and beyond. This week, Panthers players spoke to reporters about the 2015 NFL MVP who believe he’s not going anywhere.
“Cam will be back,” soon-to-be free agent DE Gerald McCoy said via the Charlotte Observer. “Listen, I don’t know if I’m going to be here or not, but that would be the dumbest thing they ever did — let Cam walk. There’s not a lot of Cam Newtons walking around.”
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One of the things that also comes into play is how the Panthers’ decision on Newton affects other free-agent signings. If Newton is not back with the Panthers in 2020, that could lead to other pending free agents looking to sign with another team.
“(Moving on from Newton) probably affects free agents and this locker room,” soon-to-be free agent safety Tre Boston said. “This is a league driven by elite quarterbacks … that’s what it’s ran by. (Patrick) Mahomes, Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, Jimmy (Garoppolo), if you don’t have a QB 1, who’s able to play great like that?”
It was reported back in December that Newton will be traded by the Panthers during the offseason. “I am told they are not going to trade him,” Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network said. “Instead, expect the Panthers to try and trade Cam Newton this offseason. No doubt, going to be one of the biggest storylines with so many big-time, big-name quarterbacks available. Newton is going to be right in the mix, assuming he’s healthy.”
Newton only played in two regular-season games in 2019 because he was dealing with an injured foot. He recently had surgery on the foot and is expected to be 100 percent healthy for the 2020 season. Right before Thanksgiving, Newton told reporters he wants to be a member of the Panthers for the rest of his career.
“Charlotte is home,” Newton said. “Charlotte is a place I know people know me. They’re not just assuming. They know how I am. They know my energy. They know what I like and what I don’t like. For me to have that type of presence, it just reminds me that … it’s right.”
