Panthers Having Hard Time Finding Trade For Cam Newton, Release Could Come “Very Soon”

Jourdan Rodrigue, citing league sources, reports that the Panthers and Cam Newton‘s representatives are having a hard time finding a trade for the veteran quarterback.

According to Rodrigue, multiple sources expect him to be released “very soon” given that the Panthers will not carry both Newton and newly signed Teddy Bridgewater.

The Panthers are still trying to get Bridgewater’s physical taken care of before the deal is official, but it appears as though Newton’s release could be coming soon.

Earlier in the week, the Panthers announced that they’ve given Newton’s agent permission to seek a trade. 

“One of the distinct pleasures of my career was selecting Cam with the first pick in the 2011 draft,” Panthers GM Marty Hurney said in a statement. “Every year difficult decisions are made and they are never easy. We have been working with Cam and his agent to find the best fit for him moving forward and he will always be a Carolina Panther in our hearts.”

Newton, 30, is a former first-round pick of the Panthers back in 2011. He is entering the fifth year of his six-year, $118.47 million contract that includes $60 million guaranteed and stands to make base salaries of $16.2 million and $18.6 million over the final two years of the agreement.

According to OverTheCap.com, releasing or trading Newton would free up $19.1 of available cap space while creating $2 million in dead money. 

In 2019, Newton appeared in two games for the Panthers, completing 50 out of 89 passes for 572 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He has also rushed five times for -2 yards.

We’ll have more on Newton as the news is available.