Time to get on the Cam Newton comeback bandwagon before it’s full

Cam Newton is now likely to still be a Carolina Panther in 2020, so the comeback wagon may start to roll and the time to get on is now.

With a new head coach coming in and heading into the last year of his contract, Cam Newton’s time with the Carolina Panthers seemed to be coming to an end. But according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the team is set to move forward with Newton as their starting quarterback.

Rapoport added that head coach Matt Rhule and his staff are encouraged by Newton’s rehab work and how “intent he is to get back to top form.” Newton’s foot is healing well, but it will be several months before he’s game-ready. That runs counter to a recent report the Panthers feel Newton will be able to pass a physical in March, but with nod toward other needs to address this offseason the plan is to stick with him under center in 2020.

Last year will go down as a lost one for Newton, as a preseason foot injury limited him into the games that count and he wound up playing just two games. A shoulder issue derailed his 2018 season, eventually costing him the final two games of that campaign when the Panthers’ playoff hopes were gone.

Newton completed a career-best 67.9 percent his passes in 2018. In his first 11 starts he completed 69.6 percent of his throws with a 103.7 passer rating, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions while averaging 7.5 yards per attempt (7.9 adjusted yards per attempt).

In his final three games, those numbers fell to a 62.5 percent completion rate, a 63.7 passer rating with two touchdowns and six interceptions (four in one game) while averaging 6.2 yards per attempt (4.2 adjusted yards per attempt). His rushing production also fell off over those last three games in 2018

Concerns with his shoulder and foot aside, Newton will still only turn 31 in May. If the foot issue allowed his throwing shoulder to get all the way right and both body parts are healed, he can easily re-enter the top tier of NFL quarterbacks. The Panthers can surround him with good talent, and Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady are a couple forward-thinking offensive minds.

Despite the Panthers being in line to keep him now, Newton’s redemption tour still has a chance to happen in another uniform. But leaving aside the colors he’ll be wearing, the comeback bandwagon for the 2015 NFL MVP may fill up fast and the time to get on is now.