Why Cam Newton Returning to the Panthers Wouldn't Work
Tuesday morning, the Carolina Panthers made the decision on the backup quarterback situation by waiving former 3rd round pick Will Grier and tabbing PJ Walker as Sam Darnold's backup.
Despite Walker making the cut, there's no guarantee that he will be the only backup quarterback on the roster in the coming days. When asked if the team has considered bringing in a veteran quarterback, head coach Matt Rhule didn't shoot the idea down.
"I think if you find the right, older guy, there's always a benefit with those guys," Rhule said. "We have a lot of flexibility. We can add a third quarterback, we can put a quarterback on the practice roster but it has to be the right guy -- at any position. So many things could change over the next day to be quite honest with you. That's why I'm hesitant to say someone is 'this'."
A veteran quarterback on the roster makes sense when you look at Darnold still being in the development stage of his career at just 24-years old and his backup, Walker, entering just his 2nd year in the league. Doing so would give the Panthers more stability in the quarterback room, it would push Darnold to be great, and would also give him someone to go up and ask questions to, seek advice, and just help him out along the way.
One quarterback that wasn't expected to be released on Tuesday was former Panther, Cam Newton. The Patriots decided that rookie Mac Jones is ready to take over as the starter and that Newton's services were no longer needed.
Would it make sense for the Panthers to give Cam Newton a call? Maybe in the grand scheme of things, but I don't see the benefit of actually signing him.
First of all, Newton is now 32-years old and isn't playing at the same level that he was just a short three to four years ago. That said, Newton is still viewed as someone who can be the leader of an offense and be a starting quarterback in this league. Signing Newton would put a ton of unnecessary pressure on Darnold and then even the coaching staff the very second Darnold starts to have a string of bad games. By passing up on Justin Fields in the draft, the Panthers basically proved that they are committed to Darnold for the long haul. Bringing in a player of Newton's caliber would cause a divide in the fanbase and if Darnold shows any signs of struggles, he may start to hear the boo-birds instead of fans remaining patient as he learns the offense.
Aside from that, I don't think Carolina is all that interested in paying a guy that they didn't feel was a fit in the offense when this coaching staff first arrived. If he wasn't considered a fit then, he won't be considered one now. Plus, Newton is at that point of his career where he wants to play for a Super Bowl contender.
Guys that have starting experience that has now settled into backup roles such as Blake Bortles, Trevor Siemian, and Jeff Driskel come to mind. Even if the Panthers are keyed in on keeping just two quarterbacks on the roster, there are a handful of options out there that would be an upgrade over PJ Walker. It just won't be Cam Newton.
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