Cam Newton’s nine-year career with the Carolina Panthers came to an end on Tuesday when the team released him.
Newton is only 30 years and leaves as the most visible face in the franchise’s 25-year history. Since being drafted No. 1 overall out of Auburn in 2011, Newton led the team to a Super Bowl, won a league MVP and redefined the quarterback position with his combination of arm strength, speed and size. He’s the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 18 touchdowns and run for four or more in eight straight seasons.
While Newton could often be frustrating with his actions off the field, Panthers fans will still surely miss him. Here’s a year-by-year look at his tenure.
2011
Panthers record: 6-10
Newton was easily the best No. 1 overall pick of the decade. He was good from the gate, completing 24 of 37 passes for 422 yards and two touchdowns in his first start, an opening week road loss to the Cardinals.
By the end of the year, Newton had won offensive ROY and made the Pro Bowl after throwing for 21 touchdowns (to 17 interceptions) and rushing for another 14. His 706 yards on the ground (5.6 YPC) let people know that Newton was something special.
2012
Panthers record: 7-9
Newton wasn’t as dynamic on the ground as he was his rookie season, but he cut his interceptions from 17 to 12 and led the league in yards per completion with 13.8. The Panthers also improved one game in the standings, though still missed out on the playoffs.
2013
Panthers record: 12-4
If there were any doubts about Newton’s staying power or durability, he put it to rest with a NFC South title and a first-round bye in the playoffs. Though the Panthers would lose to the 49ers in the divisional round, it was clear that Newton was an elite quarterback.
2014
Panthers record: 7-8-1
This was Newton’s bad luck year. He missed much of training camp with an ankle injury and then the first game of the regular season after sustaining a rib injury in preseason. Then, in early December, Newton was involved in a scary car crash that got a lot of publicity and could have been much worse. (Newton ended up only missing one game.)
Though the Panthers only went 7-8-1, a down year in the NFC South allowed them to back their way into the playoffs and Newton won his first playoff game, a victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
2015
Panthers record: 15-1
Newton and the team agreed to a five-year, $103 million extension the month before training camp and it kicked off the best season for the two sides. The Panthers went 15-1 while Newton earned league MVP by throwing for 4,051 yards and 35 touchdowns while running for another 10. While his performance on the field and off in a Super Bowl loss to the Broncos left much to be desired, Newton’s 2015 should always be remembered among the greatest QB seasons ever.
2016
Panthers record: 6-10
The Super Bowl losers curse hit the Panthers hard as the team finished last in the NFC South. Newton fell from 35 passing touchdowns in 2015 to 19 a year later and he rushed for only 359 yards. He was benched for a half in December because of a dress code violation.
2017
Panthers record: 11-5
Newton and the Panthers rebounded, making the playoffs after a year that saw him throw 22 touchdowns and more than double his rushing yards to 754 yards. The team, however, fell to the Saints in the wild card round.
2018
Panthers record: 7-9
The Panthers started the season strong at 6-2, but a nagging shoulder injury finally caught up to Newton and the team lost six straight. The team deactivated Newton for its final two games of the season and the quarterback underwent right shoulder surgery on January 24, 2019.
2019
Newton started Week 1 in a loss to the Rams, then again in Week 2 in a loss to the Buccaneers. It would be the last time Newton would take the field in a Panthers uniform. He missed the Week 3 game because of a Lisfranc feature and he was never able to heal quickly enough to return. The Panthers gave him permission on March 17 to seek a trade, he was released from the team one week later when no takers were found.
