Carolina Panthers News: Prodigal Son Returns To Same Team Where He Gained Prominence

Cam Newton is on the cusp of playing football again following reports that the 32-year-old will be returning to the same team he started his career–the Carolina Panthers.

On Thursday, November 11, the Panthers has announced via Twitter that they have signed Newton to a one-year deal.

This was after the 2015 NFL MVP met with head coach Matt Rhule, owner David Tepper, vice president of football operations Steven Drummond and general manager Scott Fitterer.

According to ESPN citing sources, the contract is worth up to $10 million for the remainder of the season, including $4.5 million guaranteed and a $1.5 million roster bonus.

Newton was one of the high-profile NFL free agents who was released by the New England Patriots in August.

Carolina was looking for a quarterback, and Newton was surprisingly part of the list.

From there, Rhule reportedly called up Newton to ask if he would be interested to return to the Panthers and responded with a “Yes,” the Charlotte Observer reported.

The surprising turn of events cropped up when the Panthers lost Sam Darnold to a shoulder injury.

But even before that, the 24-year-old was already struggling to call the plays for Carolina.

Moreover, he was placed on the injured reserve and is expected to miss at least four weeks.

Darnold is dealing with a fracture of his right shoulder blade, ironically something he allegedly sustained when the Panthers played and lost to the Patriots, 24-6, on Sunday, November 7.

There is no doubt that Newton is one of the popular names in the NFL, not to mention the Panthers.

However, Rhule cautioned that the reason why they brought back the 2015 NFL Offensive Player of the Year was to rack up wins.

“We didn’t bring Cam Newton to sell season tickets,” Rhule stated. “We brought him here to win games.”

There is no question that Newton can be a prolific playmaker for any team on the field, but with the spate of injuries he has had through the years, it puts a big question on whether he could steer the team to the Promised Land.

NFL insider Matt Maiocco expressed in an interview on Sports For All PH that Newton may be good for one to two more years.

“Cam Newton at his best for a good many years in Carolina was one heck of a quarterback. But last year, he was closer to the bottom as far as starting quarterbacks in the NFL… a lot closer to the bottom than he was to the top," Maiocco stated.

"So I don’t know if he can get back to the level he was coz I just don’t think he’s healthy. So I think he is probably on his final year or two as a quarterback in the NFL."