Panthers’ lack of a backup quarterback is unreasonably arrogant

Cam Newton is an outstanding starting quarterback, but the Carolina Panthers don’t have a suitable backup to replace him in case of injury.

Outside of Cam Newton, the rest of the quarterbacks currently on the Carolina Panthers roster have thrown a total of one NFL pass. With all due respect to Taylor Heinicke’s sterling completion for the Texans last season, that isn’t enough experience for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Heinicke joins Garrett Gilbert and Kyle Allen in the competition to earn the job as Newton’s backup. The job was previously held by competent veteran Derek Anderson, but the team has elected to leave him adrift in free agency to date.

Many Panthers fans assumed that Anderson would eventually find his way back to the team after the dust had settled this offseason. Coach Ron Rivera’s recent words make it seem like this won’t be the case. He told team reporters that he believes Newton’s backup is already on the roster.

Bringing Anderson back into the fold was the bare minimum the team should have invested in the backup quarterback spot this offseason. Newton is a terrific starter, but he takes an absolute beating on the field. Even if he dials his aggression back, as the team would like, he’s still going to get a pounding. Counting on any starting quarterback to start 16 games is risky. Expecting Newton to go through a full season unscathed is negligence.

In fairness, Newton has been amazingly durable throughout his NFL career. He’s only missed four starts in his seven seasons with the Panthers. That doesn’t mean betting on that trend to continue is the best course of action for Carolina.

A team with this much offensive talent should be doing everything they can to fortify every position. Failing to acquire a quality backup at the most important position on the field runs contrary to that idea. It means that losing Newton would effectively hamstring the Carolina offense.

The coaching staff clearly believes that either Gilbert, Heinicke or Allen can give the offense more than Anderson can. That’s a giant leap. None of the three have NFL experience that would lead you to such a conclusion. In all honesty, none of the trio even entered the league with expectations they could ultimately become a high-quality backup.

Allen wasn’t even able to keep his starting job at Texas A&M during his final season in College Station. The Panthers are Gilbert’s fifth team in just three seasons. Heinicke has been on four NFL rosters in his brief two-year career. None of these options are blue chip quarterbacks that other teams are in any hurry to acquire.

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The only hope for Panthers fans is that Cam Newton can stay healthy all season long. If he doesn’t, the Carolina offense is going to go down the drain very quickly. The lack of a legitimate backup quarterback is a massive misstep by Marty Hurney and the Panthers’ front office. It’s something that should be definitely addressed before Week One arrives.