Panthers News: Bryce Young, Cam Newton, OL changes and Bill Belichick
By Dean Jones
Cam Newton on Carolina Panthers culture shift
This is not the same Carolina Panthers team that took the NFL by storm during the mid-2010s. That ethos and some legendary players have slowly fallen by the wayside since David Tepper bought the franchise, which leaves it in an almost unrecognizable state and staring down the embarrassment of handing over the No. 1 overall pick in 2024 to the Chicago Bears.
There will be no quick fix, it seems. But the Panthers remain a relatively attractive destination thanks to rookie quarterback Bryce Young despite David Tepper's meddling in football matters, which is unlikely to alter.
When discussing the team's current state, iconic former quarterback Cam Newton stated via USA Today Sports that the culture generated during his prolific time with the organization hasn't been valued highly enough by Tepper. Something that's been a key component in Carolina's freefall into the NFL abyss.
"When you look at it through the lens of coaching, I think Tepper has not found out—during my time there, first time there—was the importance of continuity in a locker room. He flushed the toilet. Got rid of a lot of key guys—the Ryan Kalils, myself, TD [Thomas Davis] and Luke [Kuechly] was just already one of those guys that, for health reasons. And when you’re expecting a guy who doesn’t know the game off the field, and his talent hasn’t really produced anything on the field—it’s hard. It’s hard to run a locker room where you got guys that may be kinda gettin’ distracted during the year. And I don’t think he valued that and it shows. He does not have a culture there, by no stretch of the imagination. And his presence is more so business rather than team."
- Cam Newton via USA Today Sports
Tepper seems more intent on bringing events to Charlotte and filling his pockets rather than building a winning football team. Could this latest catastrophe result in an approach change? Time will tell.