The relationship between Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers has been anything but steady since he last left the team in 2021. After all, even though he’s their franchise leader in several key categories, there’s not a single picture of him to be found inside Bank of America Stadium.
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Nevertheless, the former quarterback is now doing his best to put a fork in the matter by not just cheering for the Panthers as they hosted the Los Angeles Rams for the first round of the playoffs this weekend, but by also returning to the stadium and hosting his own event, a special pregame episode of his 4th & 1 podcast.
That may not seem like much to some, but this marks a significant milestone in this relationship, and when you see Newton’s interactions with the fan base, it’s safe to say that the city of Charlotte never once forgot him or his charity.
“When I came to Carolina,” Newton started. “My mental was different, and I knew it became special when I would do philanthropic initiatives, when I would go out and give back my time, energy, and effort. Nobody ever knew this, but I would always tell Joe, ‘Hey, after every win, we’re going to give pizzas to the homeless.’ It wasn’t for me to take that credit or just give away those meals, those were the types of things that, for me, I knew, emotionally, there was a reciprocation that I just appreciated from Carolina.”
While he did joke about North Tryon Street becoming “a little bit spotty at times,” Newton’s general appearance and wholesome interactions with the fans helped to make the playoff show feel more like a homecoming event than anything else. So even though the Panthers got off to a bad start on Saturday afternoon, there was still an overarching sense of joy in the streets.
It’s been a decade since the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, has seen a playoff game, and even this one took a good bit of luck to get. Between the Panthers and the Charlotte Hornets, both of whom have only produced one winning season since 2021, there hadn’t been much for celebration around here, and at various points in time, it even seemed as if the city could be losing its sporting culture at one point in time.
Thankfully, Newton and the Panthers seem to be doing what they can to restore the region’s lost sense of pride. It’s a job that can’t be done overnight, but their 2025 campaign has helped to get this franchise on track for the first time in years. So as long as things can continue to develop at a steady rate, then that sense of improvement should at least continue to comfort this afterthought of a football club.
