Panthers officially release Cam Newton

UPDATE: The Panthers made it official, announcing they have released Cam Newton.

The Panthers put franchise quarterback Cam Newton on the trade block but couldn’t find any takers. They now will release Newton, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Newton’s rehab from a foot injury along with league travel being curtailed by the coronavirus didn’t help Newton’s trade value. He is now free to join a new team as a free agent, likely finding more interest after being released.

The Panthers have already moved on from Newton, as they’ve signed Teddy Bridgewater to be their starter. Newton was asked to rest and rehab his foot injury last season, which he did, but two months later, his foot pain was still there. Rest and rehab that ultimately turns into surgery seems to be a pattern with the Panthers and Newton.

As soon as he can prove he’s healthy, there will be teams that want to give him another chance, but at this moment, there aren’t many teams with a starting quarterback spot, so he could be a backup in 2020.

The Jaguars, Chargers, Patriots and Washington are the odds on favorites to land Newton and all four would give him a real chance to start, but the rumor mill doesn’t have these teams showing any interest as of yet.