Panthers give Cam Newton permission to seek trade
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers gave quarterback Cam Newton permission to seek a trade on Tuesday, the first step in ending the nine-year relationship with the first pick of the 2011 draft.
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," 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."
The Panthers are in a rebuilding mode under new coach Matt Rhule. They already parted with Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen and Pro Bowl right guard Trai Turner.
The only quarterbacks on Carolina's roster other than Newton are 2019 third-round pick Will Grier and Kyle Allen, who started 12 games last season while Newton dealt with a Lisfranc injury. A week ago, the Panthers re-signed Allen, set to become an exclusive-rights free agent, to a one-year deal.
New Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady has worked with Bridgewater, now a free agent, during his two years as an offensive assistant with the Saints.
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.
Newton, who will turn 31 in May, continues to rehab from Lisfranc surgery that was performed in December. His rehab has gone well and a league source told ESPN.com that he was on track before the Coronavirus crisis forced the NFL to suspend offseason programs to fully participate in a June minicamp.
Newton was the NFL MVP in 2015 when he led the Panthers to the Super Bowl, a 24-10 loss to the Broncos. The Panthers have been to the playoffs only once since then, a wild-card loss to the Saints in 2017.
Newton, who holds most of Carolina's all-time passing records, missed 14 games last season with the Lisfranc injury and the final two games of the 2018 season with a shoulder injury that also required surgery.
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