Although Cam Newton has not played in the NFL since his eight-game stint with the Carolina Panthers in 2021, the former league MVP still believes he is worthy of being on a roster. Newton participated at Auburn's pro day Tuesday and was trying to show team scouts that he still has more left in the tank.
Cam Newton came into the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick in what was a very stacked 2011 draft class. Newton burst onto the scene as a rookie throwing for 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns. On the ground, he ran for 706 yards and 14 touchdowns. The thought was that if Newton could improve as a passer, nobody in the league would have an answer for him at quarterback standing at 6'5 and 245lbs.
As his career went on, Newton never became a super lethal thrower of the football, but he took the Panthers to the playoffs four times during his first tenure with the team. One of those four seasons was the magical 2015-16 season when Carolina finished the regular season with a 15-1 record and Newton threw for 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns. He added another 636 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground as well. The Panthers went all the way to Super Bowl 50, but fell short to the eventual champion Denver Broncos 24-10.
After that magical Super Bowl run in 2015, Cam Newton never quite got back to that MVP level status. The following season, the Panthers regressed tremendously finishing with a 6-10 record and Newton threw for just 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. At the time, those 14 interceptions were the most thrown by Newton since he threw 17 his rookie season.
The following season was a bounce back season for Newton and the Panthers. Carolina went 11-5 and made the postseason as Newton found chemistry with his new soon-to-be star running back Christian McCaffrey. The Panthers lost in the wild card round to the New Orleans Saints that season and it was the last time Newton would lead the Carolina to the playoffs.
After this season, Newton played one more year on the Panthers and one year for the New England Patriots. Eventually, his body broke down and he was released from New England after his brief stint with the team. In 2021, Newton re-joined the Panthers and played on the team for eight games.
As his career progressed, it was proven that all the punishment Newton took caught up to him and he was just not the same player. The chances of him actually getting back on an NFL roster seem very unlikely, but it is a very interesting story to follow.