According to Jonathan Alexander, the Panthers are meeting with veteran free-agent QB Cam Newton on Thursday.
Alexander says HC Matt Rhule, owner David Tepper and VP of football operations Steven Drummond will meet with Newton, presumably to explore the possibility of signing him to the roster.
The Panthers are in a lot of trouble at the quarterback position right now, with Sam Darnold out several weeks with a shoulder injury and playing poorly enough to be benched at one point.
Newton was obviously with the Panthers for years, but Carolina jettisoned him before he ever got a chance to play for Rhule in 2020.
Rhule said on Wednesday the team would explore all options at the quarterback position, so it appears he was being genuine.
Newton has been a free agent since being cut by the Patriots coming out of the preseason. He’s spoken with the Seattle Seahawks but apart from that there’s been little reported interest in the former MVP.
Newton, 32, is a former first-round pick of the Panthers back in 2011. He was entering the fifth year of his six-year, $118.47 million contract that includes $60 million guaranteed and set to make base salaries of $16.2 million and $18.6 million over the final two years of the agreement when the Panthers cut him this offseason.
The Patriots later signed Newton to a one-year deal in June of last year and returned to New England on another one-year contract this past March. They cut him to make way for rookie Mac Jones as the starter, however.
In 2020, Newton appeared in 14 games for the Patriots and completed 65.4 percent of his passes for 2,415 yards, five touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has also rushed for 513 yards and 12 touchdowns.
We have him included in our Top 100 Available 2021 Free Agents list.
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