Could Cam Newton end up cooling off Matt Rhule’s hot seat?

(Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic via USA TODAY Network) Cam Newton
(Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic via USA TODAY Network) Cam Newton

Could the pressure on Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule subside due to the performance of quarterback Cam Newton over the next five games?

How ironic it is that the fate of Matt Rhule could lie squarely on the shoulders of Cam Newton, the quarterback he released in 2020 before bringing back when all hope seemed lost this season.

The pressure on Rhule is increasing with every passing week. The Carolina Panthers head coach fired offensive coordinator Joe Brady almost as soon as the games kicked off on Sunday, which is normally the first indicator that the man in charge is on the hot seat.

Newton is also looking for redemption following his release by the New England Patriots before the campaign. It took him almost nine weeks to find a new home, with a bombshell return to the Panthers something that sent shockwaves across the NFL.

His first two contributions were encouraging before a dismal display at the Miami Dolphins. But the bye week came at a really good time and provided Newton with enough space to study and pick additional things up with a view to hitting the ground running down the stretch.

As fortune would have it, there is also plenty to play for in Carolina.

The team is still in with a legitimate chance of making the playoffs in a wild NFC race. But one only has to look at the Panthers currently sitting at No. 9 in the 2022 NFL Draft order to see how precarious this situation is.

Newton was dealt an unfair hand by the Panthers when he originally departed. The timing of his release left the former NFL MVP with few options elsewhere, which was bizarre considering the commitment Rhule already made to Teddy Bridgewater early in free agency.

Now, the tables have turned after Bridgewater was shipped out after just one season and the Sam Darnold experiment turned out to be a complete disaster.

This is probably the last thing on Newton’s mind.

Cam Newton could save Matt Rhule’s job down the stretch.

He’ll be fully focused on leading the charge and guiding a talented group of players into the postseason. Even if the protection in front of the signal-caller is unlikely to do him any favors.

Should Newton achieve the virtually impossible, then it becomes a mutually beneficial arrangement. It will also give Rhule a reprieve ahead of a crucial third year with the organization where substantial progress is expected.

It’s going to be a big-time challenge for the Panthers, who face a daunting run-in that includes traveling to the Buffalo Bills and taking on the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers twice in the final three weeks.

But if there’s one thing everybody knows about Newton, it’s that he will relish such occasions.

The onus will be on Rhule to get the team back to basics.

Stop making soppy decisions, make smart adjustments in-game, and put his players in the best possible position to execute. If Rhule can do this, then they might just have a chance providing Newton also shines in the coming weeks.

The irony shouldn’t be lost on anybody here.

This full-circle situation is as weird as it gets. But somehow, it’s very in keeping with the Panthers’ process since their Super Bowl appearance in 2015.

And there should be plenty more plot twists to come.

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