Will Newton Return To MVP Form Under Rhule?
Cam Newton has been the face of the Carolina Panthers since he was drafted first overall back in the 2011 NFL Draft. For the first time in his career, Newton's future in Carolina is in question. However, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule laid all rumors to rest.
"I know there will be a lot of questions about Cam (Newton), so I figured I'd address that right off the bat," Rhule said. "From my perspective, I'm unbelievably excited to get to work with Cam. Coming from the outside, you kind of know as a fan, but just on a personal note getting to know him - he is a diligent guy. He's working so hard both in Atlanta and in Carolina to get himself healthy. You meet him, he's this massive man, impressive man, and I've really enjoyed getting to know him. I've enjoyed getting to sit down in the cafeteria when he comes by, sit down in my office. I think he's doing a great job. For me, the way he balances being a great father, the way he balances being a great quarterback, and the things he's done in the community are really, really important. I want to make sure I say that. I'm excited to get him healthy. Obviously, that's the number one goal for us. He's doing a great job of doing his part. We have to make sure we're doing our part as we try to get him healthy for the 2020 season."
At his peak, he was the NFL's league MVP in 2015 when he threw for 35 touchdowns and 3,837 yards, while also rushing for ten touchdowns and 636 yards as he led the Panthers to a 15-1 regular season record and a spot in Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos. Before his MVP season began, Newton signed a five-year, $103.8 million contract, and at the time, Panther fans had mixed feelings about giving one guy all the money. After 2015, they realized it was the right decision.
That being said, Newton hasn't put up the same type of numbers like he did in 2015. This has been a combination of many factors, but the biggest impact on Newton's struggles over the past few seasons has been nagging injuries. In 2019, Newton only appeared in two games due to a foot injury he had suffered in the preseason against the New England Patriots that required him to sit out the remainder of the season. When healthy, Newton is potentially a top five quarterback in the NFL.
It has been an off-season of change for the Panthers, which means Newton will have to learn Rhule's schemes along with new offensive coordinator Joe Brady - who had massive success while at LSU. Rhule ran a RPO-heavy playbook while at Baylor and could be a great fit for Newton, given his dual threat ability.
It should be reminded that Rhule has a history of turning around programs and making them contenders. As the head coach at Temple, he led the Owls to back-to-back ten win seasons in 2015 and 2016. Prior to that, Temple had just one ten win season in program history and that was in the year 1930. During his two years at Baylor, he turned a 1-11 team into a bowl game appearance in year one and a Sugar Bowl appearance in year two. Rhule's history of turning programs into contenders should have Panthers' fans excited to see what he can do in Carolina.
Rhule also stated at the Combine that he isn't naming Newton the starter immediately and that he wants to make it a competition.
"I don't think I'm going to say anybody's a starter yet. Just in the first year I think it's really important for me as I go in there that I want to create a culture of competition," Rhule said. "I want to create a culture where nothing is promised to anybody. That being said, I don't think that has anything to do with Cam, that just has to do with overall philosophy. When it comes to Cam, Cam's a special player. Really the only thing that matters right now is getting him healthy. But I want to make sure I say I'm excited to have him here. I want him to be here. I want to coach him."
Rhule would go on to comment about more about the entire organization at the Combine and that can be read in the link below.
Newton has a lot to prove for himself and his future. Newton is now entering the final year of that five-year contract that was mentioned earlier and will be looking to perform at an MVP level to earn another contract.
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