The Carolina Panthers have given Cam Newton, once the face of the franchise, permission to seek a trade.
The team’s announcement comes as sources tell ESPN’s Dianna Russini that the team is showing strong interest in free agent Teddy Bridgewater, who had a strong showing filling in for injured Drew Brees in New Orleans last season.
“One of the distinct pleasures of my career was selecting Cam with the first pick in the 2011 draft,” Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said in a statement. “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.”
Newton continues to rehab from Lisfranc surgery he had in December. He aggravated the injury in Week 2 last season and didn’t play again.
He has shown steady progress this offseeason and has posted numerous videos and pictures on social media showing him throwing and moving on his left foot without limitation.
Newton was the first overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Panthers and was named offensive rookie of the year.
The dual threat QB peaked in 2015 when he led the Panthers to the Super Bowl and won league MVP. But Carolina lost in the title game and have only made the playoffs once since then — a wild-card loss in 2017.
A week ago, the Panthers re-signed quarterback Kyle Allen, set to become an exclusive-rights free agent, to a one-year deal.
Allen started 12 games last season after Newton went down.
Bridgewater went 5-0 as a starter last season in New Orleans, saving a promising season. The former first-round pick of the Vikings has been slowly boosting his stock since a catastrophic knee injury cost him almost two full seasons.
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