The road to Canton never happened for a player who led Carolina to the Super Bowl and seemed to have “Superstar” written on the front of his jersey.
In 2011, the Carolina Panthers selected Cameron Newton, QB from Auburn, with the first pick of the National Football League Draft. For a team desperately in need of a franchise quarterback, it seemed like the right pick, and it was. Newton turned a bottom-feeding team into a playoff-caliber team.
Cam Newton in 2014 (photo, Gentlemen’s Quarterly)
Carolina went to the playoffs three times in his first five years, and Newton won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2015 after taking the 15-1 Panthers to a Super Bowl vs. the Denver Broncos. In addition, he set the record for most combined yards (4,784) and most combined touchdowns (35) for a first-year player.
But Newton and the Panthers had plateaued, and injuries kept dogging Newton. The Panthers went 29-35 over the next four seasons, and in 2019, Newton played in only two games due to nagging shoulder injuries. It was the first time in nine seasons that he was not the Panthers’ leading passer. So in 2020, the Panthers released Newton, enabling him to test free agency waters.
The New England Patriots responded, signing Newton to a one-year, veteran-minimum deal. With Tom Brady off to Tampa Bay, Newton would compete with Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham for the starting job. Newton prevailed even though a COVID infection hindered him, and he led the Patriots to a 7-8 record, throwing eight touchdowns and running in 12 more.
Unconvinced that Newton was Brady’s long-term replacement, the Patriots did not re-sign him, and Newton became a free agent again. He eventually returned to Foxborough on a one-year deal that turned sour. Marred by inconsistent play, Newton went 0-5, and the Pats released him. He became a free agent for the third time, where he remains today following a short reunion with the Panthers in 2021 when he played in eight games, started five, and finished the year with an 0-5 record.
Cam Newton’s career is a tale of two cities. Newton turned around a flailing Carolina franchise, leading the Panthers to the Super Bowl. But success didn’t follow in New England, and the magic didn’t return during his second stint with the Panthers. While injuries played a big part in a career transition from “Wow! to What?” Cam Newton is still one of the most recognizable names in Carolina’s history. That said, the road to Canton never happened for a player that seemed to have “Superstar” written on the front of his jersey.
