Over the past couple of NFL seasons, the Carolina Panthers have struggled to find their long-lost success. Cam Newton’s health issues and Ron Rivera’s departure didn’t do much to help their cause.
The Panthers haven’t been able to find an answer at quarterback, up to the point that they even brought Newton back. Needless to say, he’s nowhere near the MVP caliber player he once was.
That’s why the Auburn product doesn’t want to get ahead of himself or even talk about clinching a playoff berth. Even if his homecoming is a bit of a feel-good story, he knows he’s got a job to do as starting quarterback and he’s not living up to those expectations.
Cam Newton Says He Doesn’t Want To Talk About The Playoffs
“Can we please stop mentioning that word?” Newton said, per ProFootballTalk. “I’m trying to get a win. Hell. I’m 0-2. All right? The important thing for me is, yeah, we know what the grand scheme of things is, but the reality is, like, I’m 0-2. This ain’t no Cinderella [story], like I’m here to win football games. I’m here to win. And when we win, everybody else gets promotions. And when you don’t, a lot of people are gonna get cut along the way. So that’s just the harsh reality of the league that we play in.”
Newton Feels Guilty For Joe Brady’s Firing
Newton admitted that the competitor in him feels guilty for how the Panthers fired Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady during the BYE week, adding that he’s only focused on turning things around and taking a game-to-game approach:
“Do I think I had something to do with it? The competitor in me, absolutely. Yes,” Newton added. “Because the truth of the matter is you don’t lose your job because of success. But where I’m at now is doing what I can control to make sure I have a job, too. Let’s just be honest. My focus right now is focusing on what I can control, and that’s just being prepared to go versus the Atlanta Falcons.”
In reality, bringing back Newton only shows desperation. He’s one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history and the best player in franchise history but he can only do so much at this point in his career.
