Cam in Carolina will be entertaining

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Say this for the Carolina Panthers: They don’t stay dull for long.

The Carolina Panthers agreed to terms with former quarterback Cam Newton Thursday, pending a physical. So Super-Cam is back in the building. It doesn’t get much bigger in the Carolinas than a Cam Newton comeback, unless the Panthers can also convince LaMelo Ball to give the NFL a go on Charlotte Hornet off days and then bring Steve Smith out of retirement to catch a couple of Newton’s passes.

Those last two things aren’t happening, but Newton as a Panther — again — is now, remarkably, a reality. At least for this season’s final eight games — Newton has only signed a one-year deal. Novelist and favorite N.C. son Thomas Wolfe famously wrote “You Can’t Go Home Again,” but the Panthers and Newton are going to give it a try.

The Panthers (4-5) and Coach Matt Rhule made their original decision on Newton, 32, about 18 months ago, first trying to trade him and then releasing him. It was a messy divorce. They went with Teddy Bridgewater instead for the 2020 season.

But so much water has flowed under the bridge since then. Bridgewater was here and gone after a year. The Panthers had ample opportunity to use the No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 draft on a quarterback, but didn’t. Sam Darnold was the new great QB hope for Carolina, until he wasn’t. And now Darnold has a throwing shoulder injury that’s going to keep him out 4-6 weeks. Or more.

So the Panthers are like an aging rock band trying to play the hits one more time, and in this case, the encore performance actually makes some sense. The Panthers have a very good defense. If they could just raise their offense somewhere around the top 12-15 in the NFL, they still have a shot at reaching the playoffs as a wild card. Not a good shot, mind you. But a chance.

I’m on record writing (several times, in fact) that a Newton return would be a mistake, and that bringing him back is a lot like starting to date your ex again while conveniently forgetting why the two of you broke up in the first place.

Newton was 0-8 in his last eight starts for Carolina, remember. He couldn’t run anymore. His body was breaking down.

But to be fair, things have changed dramatically in the past few days. Darnold’s latest injury could technically be season-ending. The Panthers are now left with the exciting but inconsistent P.J. Walker — who will undoubtedly start Sunday against Arizona — and journeyman backup Matt Barkley in an iffy QB room.

So signing Newton — now fully vaccinated, thankfully — is a little like grasping at straws, yes. But Newton is a sturdy straw, one who won 68 games for the Panthers over nine years, was the No. 1 overall draft choice in 2011 and earned the NFL Most Valuable Player award in 2015. He should wear No. 1 again; yes, it’s available.

And in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, where opposing fans have dominated the home crowd too often this season, he will bring the juice. No one ever was able to play to the crowd like Newton in his prime. At his best, the man was a walking, contagious bundle of joy. He will sell some tickets, and he will make people nostalgic, and he will find a way to give away some footballs, and none of that is a bad thing. Maybe he will win a lot, too, although I’m not convinced of that part.

That’s because Newton is not in his prime anymore. Far from it.

After the mess the Panthers have made for two consecutive years at quarterback, they needed to have him back, and they’re not going to hurt anybody other than maybe Walker’s and Darnold’s pride by signing Newton. You can call this panicky or you can call it bold, and maybe it’s a little of both. But the Panthers had to do something. They had turned both boring and bad.

Ultimately, I don’t think signing Newton is going to make a lot of difference in Carolina’s win-loss record this year — he can’t play offensive line after all. I picked them 8-9 before the season; I still think they’ll wind up 8-9. But Newton’s signing (and of course he will play quickly) sure will be entertaining, and fans know that inherently.

Even though it’s not a magic bullet, I’m glad Cam Newton is coming back to Carolina, for the fun factor if nothing else.