With Sam Darnold injured, Carolina Panthers starting quarterback, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule needed someone to carry his team for the foreseeable future. The Panthers have struggled offensively resulting from having many wide receivers developing a serious case of butterfingers coupled with Christian McCaffery, arguably their best player,  having multiple stints on the injured reserve list. 

Right after Darnold was ruled out for multiple weeks, the Panthers signed Matt Barkley to backup former XFL quarterback PJ Walker. Last Tuesday, rumors circulated of Cam Newton coming home. Social media erupted with the thought of a Carolina-Cam reunion. On November 12, CBS Sports reported that Cam was having his normal family Taco Tuesday night when Rhule called. When Cam got back to his phone, he saw he had missed a call and was very confused about what Rhule was calling. They agreed to talk in Carolina the next day which led to a contract for Newton. Cam can earn up to 10 million for the rest of the season if he hits certain incentives. He is guaranteed to make 4.5 million dollars, which seems a little high in my opinion. 

If you told me that after the Panthers cut Cam in 2019 that he would be returning just two years later, I would have laughed. Hysterically. Newton’s injury-ridden career went downhill shortly after his 2015 MVP season. The Panthers, and many fans, felt as if it was time to move on from their first overall draft pick. During the 2020 offseason, the New England Patriots signed Cam. He ended up going 7-8 and missed a game due to Covid. His season was atrocious. He threw more interceptions than touchdowns while tacking on only 2657 yards, a benchmark hit midseason by most quarterbacks. Cam finished with a 65 percent completion percentage which is surprisingly one of the best of his career but was right around the league average at the time. He also experienced one of the lowest passer ratings in his career. 

Following the 2019 season, the Patriots drafted quarterback Mac Jones from the University of Alabama who led his team to the national championship. Early in pre-season the Patriots cut Cam as he had violated Covid protocols and missed several practices. On September 10, about a week after he got cut, according to The Washington Post Cam was very adamant about how the team did not want him because he was too distracting and how he deserves a job because the other 32 starting quarterbacks are not better than him. 

Now Cam gets to prove it.

After rejoining the Panthers, it was obvious Cam was not going to start. Rhule did say that Newton would be used in a variety of packages but no one could have dreamed about how well he played against the Cardinals in his limited snaps.

Newton, on his first snap, scored a rushing touchdown. He followed it up with a passing touchdown on his second snap. After his first score, he ripped off his helmet and started yelling “I’m back” over and over again. He later got flagged for taunting.  It was great to see the Panthers with this kind of energy, something I think they lacked on offense this year. His final line score was three for four for 8 yards with the two touchdowns. He had a shot downfield which he ended up overthrowing. When he returned to the sideline, fans could see him tell teammates he still had to get his arm in shape. 

I am not the biggest fan of Cam. I am not 100 percent sure why, but when I first started to watch football, the Panthers went on their historic playoff run leading them to the Superbowl. I think I was a little disappointed by Cam’s performance in the Super Bowl. Coupled with ten the Panthers losing season the next year, I moved on and focused on the Giants, my family’s home state team. 

My expectations for Cam this year are mediocre, at best. I feel like if the weapons the Panthers have stay healthy and the defense stays dominant, the Panthers should have a chance to sneak into the playoffs. Cam under center is not going to be long-term, as the Panthers will likely look to the draft or via trade this offseason for their next franchise quarterback. My thoughts? It would be fun to watch Cam have a solid final season before retiring as the Panther he began.