Panthers give Cam Newton permission to seek a trade; eyeing Teddy Bridgewater

The Carolina Panthers are planning to part ways with Cam Newton, and they appear to already have a replacement in mind.

In a somewhat bizarre move, the Panthers announced on Tuesday that they have given Newton and his representatives permission to seek a trade.

“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,” general manager Marty Hurney said.

According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, the Panthers are already in the process of trying to bring in Newton’s replacement. Carolina has reportedly been having discussions with free agent Teddy Bridgewater that are “going very well.”

The Carolina Panthers are showing very strong interest in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater per sources. I’m told the conversations have been going very well. #panthers

— Dianna (@diannaESPN) March 17, 2020

New Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said previously that he is “unbelievably excited” to work with Newton, but the franchise is clearly going in a different direction. That said, Newton is still recovering from a foot injury that cost him the majority of the 2019 season, so he will need to pass physicals and prove to teams he is healthy before any trade can be completed.

We can think of one option that might make sense for Newton if the Panthers are able to trade him, but multiple teams should be interested. Newton is a former NFL MVP and No. 1 overall draft pick who is still just 30. If he’s healthy, he could be a huge difference maker for a franchise.