November 8th, 2018. That’s the date everything changed for the Panthers. Carolina was 6-2 and likely headed to the playoffs with Cam Newton having one of his best seasons statistically. It was during that game against the Pittsburgh Steelers that Newton took a hard hit to his shoulder by TJ Watt. The Panthers would lose that game and their next six – ending the season with a 7-9 record, missing the playoffs and Cam on his way to offseason surgery. Nothing would be the same. In 2019 Newton went down with a lisfranc fracture in week two, was out for the remainder of the season and released the following March.
The Panthers have seen a lot of change since 2018:
- May 2018 – David Tepper purchases team
- November 8th, 2018 – Cam Newton’s Injury derails playoff season and franchise
- December 2019 – Ron Rivera fired
- January 2020 – Matt Rhule hired
- March 2020 – Covid, Cam Newton’s release & Teddy Bridgewater signed
- April 2021 – Panthers trade for Sam Darnold and trade Bridgewater
- January 2022 – Coaching Overhaul, including hiring Ben McAdoo, Steve Wilkes and Paul Pasqualoni
- July 2022 – Trade for Baker Mayfield
- August 2022 – Mayfield named starting quarterback
Carolina went from Cam Newton to Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darnold – from the club to church.
Imagine going from the flair of club – popping bottles, talking trash, snapping photos with your friends and dancing, to no music, no trash talk, no dancing, no flair, no pictures and no fun. The Panthers have been in church for two years. It’s time to get back outside.
Mayfield is different. Although he and Cam Newton aren’t in the same section, at least Mayfield is in the club. His energy, trash talk and brashness is something the Panthers have been missing. It brings an edge to that position the team has missed.
Now that Carolina is back in the club, only time will tell if it will be poppin or not. Can Baker be the guy who delivers the Panthers from mediocitry – reviving his career and securing Matt Rhule’s job in the process? Time will tell, but at least it should be more fun while we find out.