5 former Carolina Panthers players who’ll be missed most in 2022

Cam Newton – Former Carolina Panthers QB

Again, the door hasn’t been completely shut on Cam Newton. The Carolina Panthers reportedly offered the quarterback a chance to back up Deshaun Watson if they eventually landed the player via trade, but it’s been relatively quiet since then as the former NFL MVP weighs up his options.

Newton made a jaw-dropping return to Carolina last season and even managed two touchdowns in consecutive plays to begin his second stint with the organization. Few that were in attendance for his introduction against Washington will ever forget it and his presence provided a sense of belief that was never there with Sam Darnold under center.

This didn’t translate into positive results outside of their landmark win at the Arizona Cardinals. Newton was also benched by Matt Rhule whenever he could and eventually for good when Darnold came back into the mix.

The Auburn product coming back was probably just a PR stunt by David Tepper to appease fans. Although his leadership and work ethic left a significantly positive impression on general manager Scott Fitterer based on his recent comments.

A large section of fans want to see Newton return with a full offseason to learn Ben McAdoo’s scheme and develop chemistry. Carolina’s offensive line also has the potential to be much improved to further help his cause.

However, the smart money is on Newton leaving for a second occasion. If this does happen, then the Panthers must handle it better than the first time around.