Back in March, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer teased that the door’s not all the way closed on a potential Cam Newton return in 2022.
And on Wednesday, Fitterer stuck to that.
Speaking to Pro Football Talk PM, explained that the “lines of communication” between the team and the quarterback remain open. Explaining:
I think we’re still having thoughts. We have to see how this works out here throughout the spring. I just happened to be up at the [Kentucky] Derby last weekend and Cam was up there. We’re texting a little bit. The lines of communication are open. I know Coach Rhule has spoken with him. We are going to have a discussion at some point but we’re just not quite there yet, but we’ll see how it goes. The more competition we have at that position the better.
Newton was able to give the team a bit of a spark last season. But, it was short-lived. Many have wondered if the former MVP would be accepting of a backup role. However, that doesn’t seem to be a concern for Carolina.
I think that mindset is he’s always going to compete to start. I mean that’s just the competitor that he is. The one thing I learned about him is how unselfish he is and what a team guy he is. I had this perception from the outside coming in here who I thought he was. He was one of the hardest workers on our team. He’s a leader. He took the young guys under his wing. They do look up to him naturally. He does have that presence, but he’s a team-first guy. He’s a competitor, but he’s a team-first guy so we have no problem bringing him in.
As it stands, the Panthers have Sam Darnold, P.J. Walker, Matt Corral and Davis Cheek on the roster.
Depending on how things shake out this offseason, maybe Superman will end up dusting off his cape one more time after all.