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Jan 8, 2020 4:12 pm

Tepper, Rhule vague on Newton’s Panthers future

The Carolina Panthers have a new head coach, but uncertainty remains about the future of their former MVP quarterback.

Asked Wednesday about quarterback Cam Newton and his future with the team, new head coach Matt Rhule said he spoke to Newton briefly on Tuesday and that he has “the utmost respect for him and what he’s done.”

Rhule declined to go further into detail, saying he’d like to get more background and speak in-depth with general manager Marty Hurney about the entire roster.

Owner noncommittal on Cam’s future

Owner David Tepper, who said last month that Newton’s future in Carolina depended on health, skirted the subject when asked about it Wednesday. When asked about how a long-term plan to build would fit with Newton’s current status, Tepper offered a broad response.

“Every player that buys into this, the more they buy into this, the more things can work,” he said. “And that’s what we’re going to need here, is buy-in from people.

“… We will try to use our personnel to the best possible (benefit), whoever that personnel is.”



Asked if Newton would or wouldn’t fit into Rhule’s vision for the team, Tepper replied, “The vision is to get the best out of everybody who is on this team. We all share that vision.”

Will Cam ever be Cam again?
Cam Newton
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Newton, 30, had surgery in December for a Lisfranc injury in his left foot, an issue that surfaced in the preseason. He initially returned to play the first two weeks of the regular season but aggravated the injury in Week 2. He landed on injured reserve in November, and after progress in his rehab was limited, Newton decided in early December to have surgery.

The nine-year veteran has also had a pair of surgeries on his throwing shoulder in recent years, including last year after playing through the issue for much of the 2018 campaign.

“If Cam’s healthy, he’s an elite player,” Tepper told The MMQB in mid-December. “So we all hope Cam’s healthy. And people will use an elite player because there just aren’t that many elite players in the league.

“… I still think he has the potential to be an elite player — he’s not that old — if he’s healthy. If he’s not healthy, that’s a different thing.”

Financial implications

Newton has one year remaining on his contract, worth $19.1 million in 2020, but none of the figure is guaranteed, and the Panthers could release him or trade him to save $17.1 million against the cap.

He passed for 572 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in 2019. Overall, he has thrown for 29,041 yards, 182 touchdowns and 108 interceptions in 125 games (124 starts). He also has rushed for 4,806 yards and 58 scores.

Newton was the NFL MVP in 2015 when he passed for 3,837 yards and a career-best 35 touchdowns while leading Carolina to the Super Bowl. He was intercepted 10 times and also rushed for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)

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