It’s official. On Tuesday, March 24, the Carolina Panthers released Cam Newton after nine seasons and issued a statement.
“Cam has meant a lot to this organization and the Carolinas,” said Marty Hurney, the Panthers’ general manager. “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 added. “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.”
On Thursday, March 26, Newton shared a workout video on Instagram Stories and shared his opinion on why he’s no longer a Panther.
“They gave up on me,” he said.
Earlier this month, the Panthers gave Newton permission to seek a trade, which they revealed on their website. Newton then responded and said leaving the team wasn’t his idea at all.
“Stop with the word play. There is no dodging this one,” he wrote in the comments of a Panthers Instagram post. “I love the Panthers to death and will always love you guys. Please do not try and play me or manipulate the narrative and act like I wanted this, you forced me into this.”
Newton’s first year with the Panthers was in 2011, and in 2015 he brought the team to a Super Bowl. He was the league MVP that year as well.
But he only played two games in 2019 after suffering a fracture in his left foot.
