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Cam Newton was in the Super Bowl five years ago, but it has been a tough career since. Repeated down seasons, bouncing to the Patriots, getting cut, and landing with the Panthers has been Newton's life over the last few years. At a certain point, the struggles cannot be overcome. Based on how 2021 has gone, fans are sensing the end is near.
NFL fans call for Cam Newton to retire
Cam Newton started 2021 with the New England Patriots (currently 9-6, 2nd in the AFC East). He was cut at the last moment for Mac Jones and spent most of the year on the couch. It took until November for a team to dial his phone number. In an odd twist of fate, it was his old team, the Carolina Panthers (currently 5-10, 4th in the NFC South).
It must have felt like the twilight zone, as much of the coaching staff was entirely new. The roster was much different this time around. That said, there was hope that he could give the Panthers a jolt back to life. Instead, the Panthers are on roughly the same trajectory as they were before Newton arrived.
This season, he has put together roughly the same performance in Carolina that he put together in New England. With the Patriots, he threw eight touchdowns and ten interceptions. With the Panthers in 2021, he's thrown for four touchdowns and five interceptions. In other words, he has turned the ball over just a bit more often than the number of touchdowns he's thrown.
Will he retire at the end of 2021? The extra time on the couch has given the quarterback time to develop some other interests and feel out what life would be like without playing on Sundays. In 2021, he got a side-by-side comparison of what life would be like on the couch and on the field.
Considering how long it took for him to get a call, he may not have a choice. If the Panthers decide to go in a new direction next season, he could be stuck at home. This could have been his last chance. That said, he does have an opportunity to serve as a "Taysom Hill" gadget quarterback, if a team wants him for that purpose.
However, there are only a handful of destinations that would be interested in something like that. Of those choices, most would likely be more willing to get a younger player who isn't as injury-prone as Newton has been in the past. Either way, for Newton, it seems his days in the NFL are numbered.
