Cam Newton benched: Does former NFL MVP have a future in the league?
The Cam Newton redemption tour has officially sold out as the Carolina Panthers have decided to bench the former NFL MVP.
The #Panthers have benched Cam Newton - They will start Sam Darnold.
Panthers paid Newton $6 million to sign mid-season.
On Wednesday, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule informed the media that former starting quarterback Sam Darnold, who recently returned from injured reserve due to a shoulder surgery, would get the start in Week 17 against the New Orleans Saints.
"Sam has been working hard to get back," Rhule told the media on Wednesday. "I thought he did some good things last week. We're going to give him this opportunity to show what he can do."
Before his shoulder injury, Darnold was relatively ineffective as the starting quarterback. After coming out of the gate with a 3-0 start to the season, Darnold soon began to show flashes of his poor play that had plagued him as the former starting quarterback of the New York Jets.
Darnold has seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions for the season.
Will Cam Newton survive being benched by the Panthers?
The answer to this question may well rest on your definition of survival.
Newton has had five straight starts for the Panthers and has thrown for four touchdowns and five interceptions. Upon his immediate return to the team where he was once hailed as a savior, Newton made a splash in Week 10 as he entered the game in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals.
Newton received a third-down snap at the two-yard line and powered his way into the endzone to score, exclaiming, "I'm back!" for all to see.
"I'M BAAAAAAACK" https://t.co/0hKHgrEzSC
Newton ended the game by running for a touchdown and throwing for another in the 34-10 victory. But things quickly went south as the quarterback was named the starter for the next week's game over backup quarterback PJ Walker.
Since then, Cam Newton has seemingly regressed from his previous game against the Cardinals.
Sam Darnold has a guaranteed contract for 2022, so inserting him back into the starting role is perhaps a strategic move for coach Rhule and the Panthers. It makes sense to see what Darnold has left to offer before deciding the future at the position.
Meanwhile, Cam Newton may have had his last audition as a starting NFL quarterback.
He was released by the New England Patriots in favor of rookie quarterback Mac Jones. He was out of football until the Panthers decided to pick him after Week 9 following the injury to Darnold.
While Newton has shown flashes that can keep him employed as an NFL quarterback, it's hard to imagine at this point that an NFL team will want to bring him in as their starter.
Only time will tell where the man affectionately known as 'Superman' will land next.