Cam Newton Allowed to Seek Trade Amid Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers Rumors

The Carolina Panthers announced Tuesday they've agreed to allow quarterback Cam Newton and his representatives to seek a trade. 

General manager Marty Hurney released a statement about the team's decision.

"One of the distinct pleasures of my career was selecting Cam with the first pick in the 2011 draft," Hurney said. "Every year difficult decisions are made and they are never easy. We have been working with Cam and his agent to find the best fit for him moving forward and he will always be a Carolina Panther in our hearts."

The Panthers drafted Newton nine years ago with the first overall pick. He was named the league's Most Valuable Player in 2015, earned three Pro Bowl selections and led the organization to an appearance in Super Bowl 50.

He made just two appearances in 2019 because of a foot injury, though.

Newton confirmed in December he wanted to remain with the Panthers despite the lost campaign, which saw Carolina post a 5-11 record with Kyle Allen as its primary quarterback.

"They got to ship me off for me to leave," he said. "... In order for me to leave, they got to get rid of me. It's not up to me."

In all, Newton compiled 182 touchdowns and 108 interceptions across 125 regular-season appearances for Carolina. He added 4,806 rushing yards and 58 scores on the ground.

He should draw significant interest once Tom Brady signs as a free agent, which will allow the teams interested in the longtime New England Patriots superstar to evaluate other options at the sport's most important position.

Meanwhile, ESPN's Dianna Russini reported the Panthers are "showing very strong interest" in Teddy Bridgewater, the former Minnesota Vikings starter who spent the past two seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

Bridgewater drew five starts last season while Drew Brees was sidelined by injury. He looked ready for another chance to start, finishing 2019 with a 67.9 percent completion rate for 1,384 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions in nine appearances.

Newton, Brady and Bridgewater are all part of a massive quarterback carousel that's going to reshape the NFL landscape when the offseason dust finally settles, likely after the draft in late April.