Cam Newton is no longer a Panther.
The Panthers announced on Tuesday that they have released Newton, after trying and failing to find a trading partner for him.
“Cam has meant a lot to this organization and the Carolinas,” Panthers General Manager Marty Hurney said in a statement. “Everyone saw his performances on the field. I had the privilege of seeing how hard he worked off the field, and his commitment to this team when no one was watching. He’s the ultimate competitor and it physically hurts him to lose. He willed this team to victory on many occasions and will always be considered one of the greatest players in the history of this franchise. His contributions to this team, this community and the game of football will leave a lasting impact on our organization.”
Newton will now become an unrestricted free agent, who will see if some team wants to make the 2015 league MVP its starting quarterback. Newton reportedly passed a physical, although a team that signs him may want to get its own medical staff to examine him.
If Newton can get healthy and stay healthy, he could be a game changer for some team. But given the way injuries have plagued him the last two years, that’s a big “if.”