Carolina Panthers: Is Cam Newton a top-ten QB when healthy?

Cam Newton received a lofty ranking by Chris Simms despite not having a new team following his release by the Carolina Panthers.

Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton might not have a new home following his release earlier this year. But he is still considered one of the best in the business by one NFL analyst.

The signal-caller lived up to his billing and more when the Carolina Panthers selected Newton with the No. 1 overall pick out of Auburn in 2011. He transformed the franchise to superstardom and probably deserved better treatment in terms of the timing of his release a little more than two months ago.

There are plenty of mitigating factors when one explores the reasons why Newton hasn’t found a new team yet. He is coming off serious shoulder and foot injuries over the last two seasons. And interested parties have not been able to conduct their own independent medical evaluations in the current climate.

Pro Football Talk’s Chris Simms has been ranking his best quarterbacks heading into 2020. And the analyst put Newton at No. 10 on the list. This was 19 places higher than current Panthers’ quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was hand-picked to replace the 2015 NFL MVP after signing a three-year, $63 million deal that included a $15 million signing bonus and $33 million guaranteed.

Simms declared his faith in Newton to deliver the goods once again if healthy. He also expected the player to be signed in the not-too-distant future with NFL teams returning to practice facilities.

"“Yes, Cam Newton. If healthy, he’s a top-10 quarterback. The question is whether he’s healthy, and when/if/how a team will be able to properly come to that conclusion. It’s more than just the foot injury that caused him to miss 14 games last year. He also had a shoulder injury in 2018 that resulted in surgery and a mid-career change in his throwing motion.“The pandemic has made it very difficult for Newton to land a job, and with most starting spots taken he’ll likely have to wait for someone to get injured. For many teams, it would be impossible to justify keeping him as a backup after the players see what he can do on a practice field — if, again, he’s healthy. At some point, Newton will get another chance. And if he’s indeed healthy, whoever gets him will end up being very happy about that. Even if, for now, Newton likely isn’t very happy about being a franchise quarterback without a franchise.”"

Is former Carolina Panthers star Cam Newton a top-ten quarterback when healthy?

It’s easy to forget with everything that’s gone on just what a high-level Cam Newton was playing in 2018 before injuries took their toll. The Carolina Panthers looked primed for a postseason berth before their quarterback got hurt. And if he can get back to this standard. It is going to make another organization very happy indeed.

The Panthers made some bold decisions regarding their veteran players this offseason. Something drastic needed to be done in order to turn around their fortunes. And this left the likes of Newton and Greg Olsen on the outside looking in.

This was probably for the greater good. But it does not detract from the fact things could have been dealt with in a more compassionate way given what Newton has given the franchise throughout his career.

Ranking the player 19 spots ahead of Bridgewater also seems somewhat bizarre from Simms’ perspective, with the former New Orleans Saint leading Sean Payton’s men to a 5-0 record in the absence of Drew Brees in 2019.

Hindsight would be a wonderful thing to have where the NFL is concerned. Carolina’s decision to release Newton might look a little silly this time next year. Or it could be seen as the spark that ignites the organization back to prominence.