Greg Olsen breaks down something Cam Newton did better than you think

Some teams wind up searching for their next franchise quarterback for years, even decades. Just ask the Cleveland Browns and the Chicago Bears how that's going.

The Carolina Panthers aren't quite in that territory yet, but five and a half years removed from Cam Newton's surprise release they don't seem to be any closer to landing that QB1 of the future.

At the end of last season it appeared for a minute that Bryce Young might be that guy. However, instead of building on that strong finish and taking his game to the next level, Young has regressed this year and the Panthers might be in the market for a new starter this coming offseason.

You can't blame Carolina fans for indulging in some nostalgia given the situation. Here's Greg Olsen breaking down Newton's superpower of reading the field on Matt Leinart's podcast.

Greg talks helping @CameronNewton in the huddle… and how Cam’s instant reads set him apart.

Full convo out now! pic.twitter.com/VmY87ht03K
— Throwbacks (@ThrowbacksShow) November 13, 2025

The bad narratives that prevailed about Newton during his career would tell you that he thrived on the strength of his arm, his legs and general size and athleticism advantages. While his physical attributes certainly didn't hurt, the truth is Newton had an exception feel for what was going on around him - and his football IQ was a highly-underrated part of his game.

Newton was also never rattled by what a defense threw at him - no matter what the coverage was or how many rushers were coming his way, he stood tall and made his reads.

By contrast, you never seem to get the feeling that Young is comfortable in the pocket. Even when he's on a hot streak, Young appears to be dwarfed by surprises that the defense throws at him - such as the fake blitz that led to an ugly interception last week against the Saints.

Young might develop a thicker skin and a better processor if he had a top-notch offensive coach guiding him, but so far the Panthers have totally failed him in this department. Frank Reich didn't even make it a full season and Dave Canales has offered very little outside of solid opening game scripts.

Hopefully Young can turn things around for the rest of the season and earn his fifth-year option getting picked up, but right now he is on pace to be another reclamation project that leaves Carolina, only to bloom into his full potential somewhere else.

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