Cam Newton is back.
On Thursday, the Carolina Panthers announced that they have signed quarterback Cam Newton bringing the former No. 1 overall pick back to Charlotte, pending a physical.
With starter Sam Darnold out four to six weeks with a shoulder injury, the Panthers’ only other quarterbacks on the active roster were P.J. Walker and recently acquired Matt Barkley.
But it’s not just Newton’s 139 NFL starts that make him valuable, it’s the possibilities to help a defense that is near the top of the league, for a team that still has legitimate playoff hopes.
In Newton’s nine seasons with the Panthers, he threw for 29,041 yards and 182 touchdowns, and ran for 58 touchdowns. He’s the team’s all-time leader in all three categories, and he’s also third on the team’s all-time rushing list with 4,806 yards, trailing only Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams.
Newton won the NFL offensive rookie of the year award in 2011, and league MVP honors in 2015, when he led the team to a 15-1 record and a berth in the Super Bowl.
He’s also the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 70, 12 of which came last year in 15 starts with the Patriots.
