MVP Cam Newton not enough to give Panthers good all-time QB rank

The Panthers have not had good QB play.

Dec 31, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass against the Atlanta Falcons during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers are one of the youngest teams in the NFL, only becoming a team in 1995, so they're barely 30 years old. In that time span, they've had some notable quarterbacks, namely Cam Newton, the only MVP in Panthers history and one of two Super Bowl starters for the Panthers at the position.

The rest of the historical depth chart is not exactly a who's who, with Jake Delhomme and Kerry Collins (not Bryce Young) being the other two "notable" players in CBS Sports' all-time ranking of QB play for franchises, which was not kind to Carolina.

CBS ranks Panthers historic QB room incredibly low

Despite having an MVP, Rookie of the Year, and potential future Hall of Famer, the Panthers have, according to CBS Sports analysts Cody Benjamin and Bryan DeArdo, have the 29th-best QB room in NFL history, ahead of the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

"Similar to the Jaguars (who were also founded in 1995), Carolina has enjoyed some good quarterback play over the past 30 years, but that success has been few and far between. The peaks: one MVP (Newton) and three different quarterbacks who helped lead the franchise to the NFC title game," the analysts said.

Jul 26, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) walks to practice during training camp. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, there are some pretty low valleys in between those peaks. Jimmy Clausen, Sam Darnold, and Baker Mayfield are a couple of the particularly low lows, so not even an MVP is able to salvage the Panthers' ranking.

They were the top team in tier five, which was the "desperate dreamers" tier. It was just ahead of the "mixed bag" teams like the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and New York Jets. It's hard to disagree with the placement since Carolina has historically not been led by elite QB play most of the time.

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