Stephon Gilmore is rocking No. 9 for the Panthers, but that reportedly wasn’t the initial jersey preference for the star cornerback.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Gilmore wanted to wear No. 1 for Carolina after he was traded by the Patriots. That number in Charlotte, of course, is synonymous with Cam Newton, arguably the greatest player in Panthers franchise history. Newton and Gilmore were teammates in New England for one season, and the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year’s desire to don No. 1 reportedly was in part to pay homage to the 2015 NFL MVP.
But out of respect to Newton, Panthers owner David Tepper was not amenable to Gilmore’s request. At the time that conversation was head, Tepper probably thought No. 1 would go unoccupied in Carolina for the remainder of the 2021 season and potentially beyond.
Fast forward a month and some change, and Newton is back where his NFL tenure began. The Panthers on Thursday signed the veteran quarterback, who had been without a job in the league since he was released by the Patriots at the end of training camp. And yes, Newton will be sporting the same number in Carolina that he did from 2011 to 2019.
We might not have to wait very long to see Newton back in his familiar threads either. There is a “slim chance” Newton is active for the Panthers on Sunday afternoon when they visit the Arizona Cardinals.
