Although the Panthers are attempting to trade quarterback Cam Newton after landing another signal-caller in free agent Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina is having trouble finding a suitor, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic (Twitter link). As a result, the Panthers are likely to simply release Newton in the near future.

Carolina’s inability to deal Newton is largely the result of two factors. First, the supply of quarterbacks currently outweighs the demand. Teams like the Bears and Colts have already made additions under center, while the Chargers aren’t planning to make a run at a veteran quarterback. As such, the Patriots may be the only club in need of an experienced passer.

Second, Newton finished the 2019 campaign on injured reserve after going down with a Lisfranc injury. Interested teams would certainly like to have Newton take a physical before acquiring him, but given the current COVID-19 travel restrictions, that doesn’t appear possible. It seems doubtful any club would take a chance on Newton’s health without checking him out in person.

The Panthers have no intention of retaining both Newton and Bridgewater, per Rodrigue, so once the latter completes a physical with Carolina, Newton is likely to be cut. At that point, the Panthers would pick up $19.1MM in cap relief while absorbing $2MM in dead money.

The Panthers have granted Cam Newton permission to seek a trade. Newton, meanwhile, says he never requested one.

“Stop with the word play! I never asked for it,” Newton wrote in an Instagram reply to the Panthers in his signature mangled text. “There is no dodging this one: I love the Panthers to death and will always love you guys! Please do not try and play me, or manipulate the narrative and act like I wanted this. You forced me into this!”

Like it or not, Newton probably won’t be left with much choice. It sounds like the Panthers are already eyeing potential replacements, as the organization has been connected to veteran Teddy Bridgewater. If the front office misses out on a quarterback in free agency, they could turn their focus to the draft, where they own the seventh-overall pick.

While injuries have derailed Newton’s production in recent years, he’s still a former MVP, and he also led the Panthers to the Super Bowl. He’s slated to make just $18.6MM this season, making him a fairly affordable bridge option for a QB-needy team.

Newton was limited to only two games in 2019, but he did make 14 starts in 2018. That season, he connected on a career-high 67.9-percent of his passes for 3,395 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. While he’s not nearly as prolific in the running game as he once was, he still managed to compile 488 rushing yards and four scores on 101 attempts.

The Panthers plan to move forward with Cam Newton as their starting quarterback, sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Things can change in the coming months, RapSheet cautions, but that’s the Panthers’ mindset at this time.

There’s been lots of talk about a potential trade of the one-time MVP, but it’ll be months before Newton’s surgically-repaired foot is game-ready, and that hurts his potential trade value. The expectation is that the QB will be able to pass his physical by March, however.

The Panthers are in the midst of a rebuild after dismissing longtime head coach Ron Rivera and parting ways with tight end Greg Olsen. The new regime likes Newton though – Rapoport hears that Rhule & Co. have been encouraged by Newton’s approach to rehab and his decision to stay in the Charlotte area throughout the process. With so much changing on both sides of the ball, Rhule likes the idea of keeping his signal caller in place.

Newton missed all but two games last season, but he’d represent a solid value if he’s healthy. He’s set to earn just $18.6MM in base salary this season, which would make him a manageable bridge option for a younger QB in 2021. This year, the Panthers hold the No. 7 pick, where they’d likely see at least two QBs taken ahead of them. Moving up is an option, of course, but it’d be costly, and the Panthers will have many more needs to address in the lower reaches of the draft.

If the Panthers wind up with a top pick in 2021, they could be in range for prospects like Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields.

The Panthers hold one of the top assets in this offseason’s layered quarterback market, but Cam Newton‘s place as a trade chip cannot be fully known until a clearer picture of his recovery from Lisfranc surgery emerges. But the Panthers believe that recovery is going well.

The team expects Newton to pass his physical and be cleared for some football activity by March, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports (subscription required). This jibes with what has come out of the organization so far; the Panthers are planning to give the former MVP a chance to display his current form when he returns to football work in the spring.

While the Panthers are optimistic Newton will be ready to throw fairly soon, Newton’s status is murky. None of the David Tepper–Marty Hurney–Matt Rhule trio has confirmed the 30-year-old passer will be a Panther in 2020. Newton believes he will, but the contract-year quarterback would obviously intrigue other teams — ones who are not on a rebuild track the Panthers may well be. Newton has, however, been at the Panthers’ facilities this offseason during his recovery process — one that has thus far pleased team brass, per Rodrigue.

Even if Newton is ready to throw by March, the Panthers may be cautious with him and delay some of his work until April or May, per Rodrigue. However, it is certainly possible Newton will not be a Panther by then. In a complex quarterback landscape, teams may need to determine a course of action on Newton soon or risk losing another potential target on the free agent or trade market. The Panthers may also consider one of this year’s first-round quarterback prospects, adding more intrigue to this situation. Newton could serve as a mid-offseason trade chip, while it’s also possible Carolina unloads him earlier before he’s fully healthy if the right offer is made.

Newton is set to make just $18.6MM this season, which would make him a manageable bridge option for Rhule’s team and drive trade interest. It should be expected Newton’s status as a Panther will be determined by the draft, but considering the former Super Bowl starter’s recent injury history, the nine-year veteran may be one of the last quarterback dominoes to fall this offseason.

Cam Newton “absolutely” expects to return to the Panthers next season. However, team sources that spoke with The Athletic’s Joe Person are less-than-certain about his odds. 

Earlier this year, owner David Tepper was non-committal when asked about the longtime franchise star. Given his health situation and the team’s move to part ways with beloved head coach Ron Rivera and tight end Greg Olsen, no one would be shocked to see Newton in a different uniform next year.

“Every player that buys into this, the more they buy into this, the more things can work,” Tepper said in January. “And that’s what we’re going to need here, is buy-in from people, OK? If we can get that kind of buy in sooner rather than later, no matter what the personnel is. We will try to use our personnel to the best possible [advantage], whoever that personnel is.”

Newton is still recovering from foot surgery and waiting for the green light to resume football activities. Thanks to the lingering Lisfranc injury, the former No. 1 overall pick was limited to just two games in 2019. We’ve heard that the Panthers want to see Newton on the practice field before making a determination on his future, but there’s no telling when he’ll be ready. If he can’t prove that he’s healthy within a reasonable timeframe, the Panthers could cut him to save $19.1MM.

Newton, 31 in May, captured the MVP trophy in the 2015 season. And, in 2018, he managed to complete a career-best 67.9% of his throws. Still, it’s been a rocky couple of years for the Panthers and the team seems intent on a rebuild under new head coach Matt Rhule. The Panthers could be in range for some of this year’s top quarterbacks with the No. 7 overall pick, but they’re reportedly higher on the 2021 crop which includes Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields. It’s also worth nothing that LSU’s Joe Burrow will be long gone by the time they take the podium, and many expect Tua Tagovailoa to go No. 5 overall to the Dolphins.

If released, Newton would join an unusually high-profile crop of available free agent quarterbacks, a group that will include some mix of Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, and Ryan Tannehill.