4 Carolina Panthers games with interesting storylines in 2021
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers vs. New England Patriots (Week 9)
- The return of Cam Newton.
This is the game every fan of the Carolina Panthers looked for the moment their 2021 schedule was released.
Cam Newton makes his return to Bank of America Stadium in Week 9 with the New England Patriots for what should be an emotional game against a team he is responsible for completely transforming during the 2010s.
The Carolina Panthers didn’t exactly give Newton a hero’s departure late in the 2020 free agency period. Fans and the player himself were furious with the way he was treated and considering how much of a disappointment Teddy Bridgewater was under center, letting the 2015 NFL MVP see out the final year of his deal may have been the smarter move in hindsight.
Newton will be chomping at the bit to get one over on his old team.
But whether he’ll be starting by this point in the season is another matter entirely.
The Patriots selected promising quarterback Mac Jones at No. 15 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, who saw his stock soar following an exceptional campaign for Alabama that eventually resulted in yet another convincing national championship for the Crimson Tide.
It would be a huge surprise if Newton wasn’t the Week 1 starter. What comes after that will be largely down to how the former Auburn sensation performs.
Whether he’s under center or watching from the sidelines, Newton is going to get a phenomenal reception upon his return to Carolina.