Could Cam Newton be on his way out of Carolina?

The Carolina Panthers had to play without their franchise quarterback all of last season. Now it looks like they might be playing without him for years to come.

Cam Newton’s future with the Panthers was already in doubt during the season with his constant injuries, and with the first-half surge of backup Kyle Allen.

Unfortunately for Allen, his play began to decline during the final stretch of the season. That means Newton still had a fighting chance to return next season and prove he can still be the guy for the Panthers.

And then Matt Rhule was hired as the franchise's new head coach.

Rhule became the new head coach for the team, and things started changing right off the bat. First, Luke Kuechly announced his retirement. Weeks later, they released long-time Panthers tight end Greg Olsen.

Rhule was recently asked about Newton and didn’t mention anything about his future:

“He’s rehabbing, that’s all I can say” Rhule told the Associated Press.

There should be no surprise that Cam Newton’s future with the Panthers is in doubt. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy with foot and shoulder injuries, and when he is on the field he’s not very impactful. His completion rate has dropped through the years, and his best ability (running), has been his worst nightmare with opposing teams laying hits on him more than usual.

It also looks like the Panthers may be going into a rebuilding phase, and the first step in starting fresh is letting go of unnecessary money. Newton is in the last year of his contract and will cost $21.1 million to the Panthers salary cap. They could trade him and get him off the books, and possibly gain another draft pick.or two.

One team that could use his services: the Los Angeles Chargers. With the team announcing they’ve moved on from Phillip Rivers, Newton may be the next veteran quarterback they could seek. The Chargers already have a talented offense, and adding a healthy Newton to the fold sounds intriguing for both parties.

This will definitely be something to look into as the offseason continues.