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Cam Newton may be at the end of the road in terms of his NFL career. The former MVP was cut by the New England Patriots to begin the year and his heroic return to the Carolina Panthers faded nearly as fast as it started.
The dynamic quarterback will turn 33 years old in May and if he never plays again, he has some fantastic numbers to his name. That has fans wondering if he his worthy of Hall of Fame enshrinement one day.
Are his numbers good enough to get him a gold jacket in Canton? A closer look reveals a tough question to answer.
Is Cam Newton deserving of entering the Hall of Fame?
Newton is a former No. 1 pick by the Panthers who showed up to the NFL and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2011. By 2015, he was the league MVP and led his team all the way to the Super Bowl. He was an All-Pro that year and also made one of his three career Pro Bowls.
He holds just about every Panthers record one can think of when it comes to quarterbacks. The dual-threat quarterback is also first all-time in the NFL in terms of rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 75. In terms of passing yards, he is 44th in NFL history with 32,382.
The running abilities are what made Newton a star during his prime. Yet he only had that one Super Bowl appearance and came away with a loss. In fact, his only career All-Pro appearance came in that season as well.
He is a player who has racked up impressive stats throughout his career without too much to show for it other than his one MVP award. He was not a perennial All-Pro or Pro Bowler and has three playoff victories to his name.
Matthew Stafford is another example of a quarterback with questionable Hall of Fame credentials. Yet he just won a Super Bowl, which can sometimes make the difference in the eyes of voters. Unfortunately, Newton lacks that qualification.
He is without a doubt going to get every possible honor from the Panthers. He will be in their Hall of Fame and should get his number retired. He just does not look to be headed to Canton, barring some unforeseen second act starting in 2022 with a new team.
The only way this changes is if time goes on and his numbers hold up against the current crop of dual-threat passers. Sometimes, decades of passing makes voters more fond of a player who initially had a tough time getting voted in.
