Quarterback Cam Newton returned to the NFL by reuniting Thursday with his original team, agreeing to a contract with the Carolina Panthers for the remainder of the season.
The deal pays Newton, a former league MVP, starter-level compensation as the Panthers vie for a spot in the NFC playoff field and deal with the loss of quarterback Sam Darnold to a shoulder injury.
“You have a guy with Cam’s ability level sitting out there,” Panthers Coach Matt Rhule said. “We have an open opportunity. We have a team that we feel like can win. ... We owe it to our players to try to go win. We owe it to our fans to try to go win. ... He’s a former MVP. So to have a guy like that have a chance to come in, just to me was just a no-brainer.”
Newton had been out of the league since being released by the New England Patriots before the season.
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His deal with the Panthers pays him a guaranteed $4.5 million for the remainder of the season, a person familiar with the contract terms confirmed. It could be worth as much as $10 million if Newton reaches all incentives, including the Panthers winning the Super Bowl. The contract includes a $1.5 million roster bonus.
The Panthers announced the agreement with Newton, 32, but did not divulge any details. Newton will be eligible for free agency in the offseason.
The deal came together as Newton met Thursday with Panthers officials, including owner David Tepper, with the team posting a photo to social media of Tepper and Newton together. Newton underwent a physical later in the day, and Rhule said he hoped that Newton participates in the Panthers’ practice Friday.
“Cam is an excellent player,” Rhule said at a news conference. “I think he’s got a lot of football left. What exactly it looks like for us yet — again, I’d like to at least see him first, practice with him first, in terms of how we’ll utilize him.”
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Panthers cornerback Stephon Gilmore said that he’d communicated with Newton via text message about Newton’s return.
“He’s excited,” Gilmore said. “He’s looking forward to the opportunity. And we all are, too.”
Gilmore grew up in South Carolina and said he knows that Newton “means a lot” to fans in the region. Newton was also Gilmore’s teammate last season with the Patriots.
“He’s a great teammate,” Gilmore said at a news conference. “He’s cool with everyone …. I think he’s going to bring a lot of energy to this team and help us get to where we want to go.”
Darnold’s shoulder injury is expected to keep him sidelined for four to six weeks. Backup quarterback P.J. Walker will start Sunday’s game at Arizona, Rhule said. The Panthers’ following game comes at home Nov. 21 against the Washington Football Team and Newton’s former coach in Carolina, Ron Rivera.
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Rhule said that Newton is “here to compete to play,” and added: “We have to get him up to speed. I can’t say when that’ll happen.”
Newton made 15 starts last season with the Patriots. He had landed in New England after being released by the Panthers.
The Patriots used a first-round pick in this year’s draft on quarterback Mac Jones and opted to make Jones their starter entering the season. Newton was released Aug. 31. His signing with the Panthers means that the Patriots avoid being obligated to pay Newton $1.5 million in guaranteed salary for this season. They receive a 2022 salary cap credit in that amount.
The Panthers are 4-5 and a half-game out of a playoff spot in the NFC. They are ranked second in the NFL in total defense and have star running back Christian McCaffrey back in their lineup on offense after he missed five games with a hamstring injury.
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“I’m bringing Cam here not to energize anyone, though that’s great that it does, not to sell season tickets,” Rhule said. “We’re bringing him here to win. And Cam Newton is a winner. I know he can help us win. A healthy Cam Newton is an excellent player, a special player. The discipline of it is, you don’t do things to make people happy because then you have old teams with big names and you don’t win.
“The best teams in the league make disciplined decisions. This is a disciplined decision …. This isn’t about anything other than winning …. I’m happy that people are excited. Don’t get me wrong. But also, I want to someday have a ticker-tape parade here in Charlotte.”
Newton confirmed in a video posted online last month that he is vaccinated against the coronavirus. He missed time during the Patriots’ training camp when he was subjected to a five-day reentry process, while he was unvaccinated, because of an issue related to the protocols for unvaccinated players developed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
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Newton spent nine seasons with the Panthers after they chose him first overall in the 2011 NFL draft. He was the league’s offensive rookie of the year in 2011 and the NFL’s MVP in 2015, when he led the Rivera-coached team to a 15-1 record in the regular season and a Super Bowl appearance.
“Cam was talking about the future,” said Rhule, who indicated that he spoke to Newton earlier this week. “Cam wasn’t talking about the past. I’m talking about the future. I’m not talking about the past. I’m ready to go.”
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