4 major takeaways from Cam Newton’s appearance on The Pivot

Cam Newton has too much passion to walk away

It was hard not to be caught up in the romance of Cam Newton’s return to the Carolina Panthers last season. Nobody that was at Bank of America Stadium for his first start against the Washington Football Team in Week 11 will ever forget the atmosphere when he was introduced, a feeling that send shockwaves through the player, too.

Newton spoke about how this incredible reception from a fanbase that will always love him reignited his passion for football. He might be 33 years old now and a far cry from the player that was virtually unstoppable in 2015, but throwing in the towel is something the quarterback isn’t contemplating at the present time.

Not yet, anyway.

"“When I walked out of that tunnel, when they introduced me this past year, it’s like man, I’m not ready to give this up. That desire … it never leaves.”"

Nobody could deny Newton was as enthusiastic as he’s ever been on the field and the sidelines. Trying to do whatever he could in pursuit of galvanizing the franchise, even if it wasn’t met by the same commitment from others within the locker room.

The former Heisman Trophy winner might not be ready to call it a day just yet. But this decision might also be taken out of his hands, to a certain extent.

If no other NFL team comes calling and Newton heads off into the wilderness, it would be a sad end to one of the most memorable careers in Carolina Panthers franchise history.

That is difficult to think about. But the longer Newton is without a home, the more it becomes a reality.