Bolt
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- Mar 19, 2019
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The Panthers officially gave quarterback Cam Newton permission to seek a trade while at the same time acknowledging that they have been trying to trade him. For the foreseeable future, with team doctors unable to perform physicals during the COVID-19 outbreak, a trade remains highly unlikely.
So here’s the question: Will the Panthers release Newton? More specifically, will they do it today?
Newton has a $21.1 million cap numbers. Of that amount, $19.1 million could be dumped simply by releasing him.
The recent signing of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater results in a cap number of $14 million. Which means that the Panthers will have $35.1 million devoted to a pair of quarterbacks until Newton exits the roster.
The Panthers could wait for the world to return to semi-normal, holding Newton’s rights and waiting to see if teams targeting a certain quarterback in the draft don’t get the quarterback they want. With a delayed (and possibly eliminated) offseason program, there’s no risk of owing Newton his 2020 money if he’s injured at the facility.
Ultimately, the Panthers need to ask themselves whether they want to remove the Band-Aid now or continue a relationship that is destined to end, in the hopes of getting an offer from someone, anyone. At some point, possibly as soon as today, the Panthers may simply decide to move on.