Cam Newton has reached the end of his first NFL road.
The Carolina Panthers are expected to released the quarterback, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday, citing sources.
The Panthers’ decision to release Newton will come one week after they gave him permission to seek a trade. Apparently, Carolina struggled to find a partner for a Newton deal, so it will cut ties with the veteran QB after nine years together.
Panthers are expected to release QB Cam Newton today, sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 24, 2020
The Panthers signed Teddy Bridgewater last week to a reported three-year, $63 million contract, making Newton expendable. Newton will count just $2 million against the Panthers’ salary cap in 2020, with the team set to save $19.1 million in cap space by releasing him.
The Panthers selected Newton with the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He has been the team’s starting quarterback since that season and won the NFL MVP award in 2015. However, injuries, age and other factors seemingly have dimmed Newton’s talents.
The Carolina Panthers are reportedly expected to release QB Cam Newton.
Since his MVP-winning campaign in 2015, Newton ranks 30th out of 39 qualifying quarterbacks in Total QBR. pic.twitter.com/86naHcLX6p
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 24, 2020
Some NFL pundits believe Newton might thrive if he joined the Patriots after Tom Brady’s departure, but Brian Hoyer’s return to Foxboro likely will dash any Newton-to-New England rumors.
