Cam Newton and the Panthers had a productive meeting Thursday, but it apparently was not purely a "welcome back" celebration.
Carolina announced it agreed to terms with Newton, who played the first nine seasons of his NFL career with the Panthers. But before the quarterback and the organization could look forward to their second stint, they reportedly needed to look back at Round 1.
"You knew the Carolina Panthers were serious to bring in Cam Newton for a meeting," NFL Media's Ian Rapoport said on NFL Network. "You're not going to bring in the former face of the franchise, former big-time quarterback who took the team to the highest of heights, unless you're very serious about doing something. But this was not exactly a slam dunk.
"This meeting was necessary. From my understanding, this meeting -- which included David Tepper, the owner, Scott Fitterer, the general manager, VP of football operations Stephen Drummond -- was described to me as a 'clearing of the air.' A necessary meeting to put the past behind them, understand what happened, why the organization ended up saying goodbye to Cam Newton and why they're now bringing him back. It is something that, of course, went well enough for them to sign him and he does get a one-year deal to join the Panthers. As far as moving forward, this is something that was positive, was necessary and went as well as anyone would have wanted."
Carolina seemingly is bringing on Newton in hopes of saving its 2021 season. The Panthers, who will be without Sam Darnold for four to six weeks, still have a shot at reaching the playoffs as they enter Week 10 with a 4-5 record.
It's highly unlikely Newton will be available Sunday when Carolina visits the Arizona Cardinals. But if Newton takes over in Week 11 and restores some of the magic he previously displayed in Charlotte, the Panthers could be a frisky team down the stretch.
