Cam Newton will start for the Carolina Panthers in their Week 11 matchup against the Washington Football Team, head coach Matt Rhule announced Friday. Newton will make his first start for Carolina in just his second game back with the team, which signed him days after Sam Darnold was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
Newton had a limited package of plays in his Panthers return, yet threw and rushed for a touchdown in Carolina's win over the Arizona Cardinals. He finished 3 for 4 for eight yards in nine snaps, while rushing three times for 14 yards. He recorded his 43rd game passing and rushing for a touchdown in the win, the most in NFL history. Newton also extended his record for the most rushing touchdowns ever by a quarterback (71). He is second only to Michael Vick (6,109) in career rushing yards by a quarterback (5,412). Newton also became the first quarterback in the last 30 years to run for a touchdown on his first rush of the season and throw a touchdown on his first pass of the season.
Newton transformed the Panthers into a Super Bowl contender during his nine years in Carolina, winning the 2015 NFL MVP award and leading the organization to Super Bowl 50. Newton has thrown for 29,049 yards and 183 touchdowns in his career with Carolina, both the most in franchise history. He also is third on the Panthers' all-time rushing list (4,820), and his 59 rushing touchdowns are the most in franchise history.
This will be Newton's first start with the Panthers since Sept. 12, 2019 (Week 2 of that season), when Carolina fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-14. He'll be facing his former head coach in Ron Rivera, who coached Newton for nine seasons during which Newton won the 2015 NFL MVP award and led the Panthers to Super Bowl 50 that same season.
"I think it's an opportunity for him to go back home, pick up where he started off," Rivera said earlier this week in his weekly presser. "It's kind of a cool deal."
