CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Super Man Cam is back. The Carolina Panthers agreed to terms with former quarterback Cam Newton on Thursday, bringing the former No. 1 overall pick back to Charlotte.
"Together again," the Panthers tweeted, along with a photo of Newton and team owner David Tepper.
The move comes as the current starting Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold is expected to miss four to six weeks due to a shoulder injury.
Newton, 32, became a free agent after his release from the New England Patriots right before the start of the 2021 NFL season.
In October, Newton opened up about his decision to get the COVID-19 vaccine on his YouTube channel, saying he wanted to get back into football.
That opportunity came Thursday during a meeting with Panthers head coach Matt Rhule and other team higher-ups.
"The 32-year-old Newton adds experience to the position, and offers possibilities on offense which can only help," the Carolina Panthers said in a press release.
With Newton now on the roster, the Panthers will look to turn their 4-5 record around. He could play as soon as the Week 11 game, set for November 21, against a Ron Rivera-led Washington Football Team.
The team's only other quarterbacks on the active roster are PJ Walker and newly acquired Matt Barkley.
Carolina travels to Arizona next for a 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
CAM NEWTON STATS AND FACTS
- 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.