The Panthers have hired former NFL and University of Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey to be an advance scout, which will entail Dorsey attending the games of the team’s next opponent and reporting back on what he sees. On the surface, it isn’t that big of a story.
Given that Dorsey previously worked for the IMG Madden Football Academy, which worked with Panthers quarterback Cam Newton after the draft and during the lockout, the decision to give Dorsey a job could be interpreted as a reward for Dorsey’s efforts to school Newton in the playbook of offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, whose relationship with Dorsey dates back to their mutual time at Miami.
A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that move was in the works before Newton chose IMG to help him get ready for his first NFL season. We’re also told that Newton picked IMG via a connection other than Dorsey’s link to the Panthers. Moreover, even though media reports have painted Dorsey as being directly involved in the tutelage of Newton, we’re told that former Panthers quarterback Chris Weinke took the lead, and that Dorsey assumed a lower profile, with Dorsey having only limited contact with Newton.
Still, despite the fact that the Panthers disclosed the situation to the NFL after Newton began working with IMG, there’s bound to be suspicion regarding the connection. For now, it appears that any suspicion that Dorsey was working as a double agent and/or that he’s being repaid for helping the Panthers get Newton ready is unfounded.