When did Cam Newton win NFL MVP? 

Cam Newton is officially back with the Carolina Panthers. The former NFL MVP re-signed with his old team for some serious cash as they look to make a push toward the postseason.

Newton returns came at a time when Sam Darnold is out with an injury after showing constant regression since Week 1. This move could mean Newton is here to stay beyond 2021 if he returns to his old ways.

So how long has it been since Newton was named MVP? That came back in the 2015 season when he won the award and took the Panthers all the way to the Super Bowl. Can he do it again?

Can Cam Newton be MVP again with Panthers

Newton is returning home with some great expectations from the Panthers. The team is giving him $4.5 million guaranteed and he is showing up in Week 10. So can he return to his MVP form?

Logically, he cannot win the award this season by only playing in half the games. He could, however, be the team's MVP if he shows up and leads the Panthers back to the postseason.

Newton becoming an NFL MVP again would have to be in 2022 at the earliest. Given the money the Panthers are paying him, it is entirely possible they will decide to keep him around in 2022 and beyond if he plays well in the coming weeks.

The Panthers found themselves in a strange spot once Darnold showed his struggles this year. The team picked up its fifth-year option for 2022 and that looked like a mistake as soon as October arrived.

His injury meant it was either P.J. Walker's time or the Panthers could get outside help. Signing Newton shows a commitment to winning and chasing the postseason. Rolling out Walker with the expectation Darnold would start once his injury heals would do nothing to motivate the team and could even put Matt Rhule's job in danger.

It is unfair to expect Newton to show up and play at an MVP level. It is entirely reasonable to expect him to play better than Darnold, who basically gave away last week's game against the New England Patriots.

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