Time for the Panthers to plan a graceful exit for Cam Newton. He deserves a curtain call

It is time for the Carolina Panthers to plan their exit strategy with Cam Newton.

There’s no need for this to be combative. The divorce should be amicable. But as we saw again when Buffalo whipped the Carolina Panthers 31-14 on Sunday, Newton is a tough but limited quarterback who isn’t the long-term answer. Under Newton, the Panthers (5-9) have turned into a grind-it-out offense that can’t convert a 25-yard pass play if their entire Sunday depends on it.

So what to do with Newton?

He’s 32, a bloodied warrior who remains the best quarterback the Panthers ever employed. With that said, there’s no way Newton is going to be here in 2022. Cam Newton 2.0 has only three games to go before the Panthers part ways with Superman for the second time.

But the options — well, that’s the problem, isn’t it?

It’s not like the Panthers have a hot young rookie QB they are aching to try. Every potential solution is flawed, yet the Panthers need to do something.

What they should do: Give Newton the start Sunday against Tampa Bay in Bank of America Stadium in what will almost certainly be his last home game as a Panther. But also play Sam Darnold a little bit.

Then make sure that Newton is in the game at some point during the fourth quarter. If it’s close, leave him in and let him try to win his last home game in Charlotte.

If it’s not — and likely, it’s not going to be — call a timeout late in the fourth quarter and give Cam Newton a curtain call. Let him have that, in front of the home fans, one last time. Make it a big deal. Make the exit as graceful as possible.

And then, in the final two games of the year, start Darnold for both, and use Newton only as a backup and goal-line specialist.

Sam Darnold’s contract complicates things

Remember that Darnold almost has to be on the roster in 2022 because the Panthers miscalculated and picked up his $18.9-million option before this season ever began. They will pay him, whether he’s there or not, so at the least he’s going to be an $18.9-million backup. Ideally, the Panthers never would have done that. But they did.

Nevertheless, the Panthers owe it to themselves to give Darnold another chance as a starter since they are roped to him anyway. (Newton isn’t under contract in 2022, nor is backup QB P.J. Walker).

Darnold’s confidence went up in smoke in early November, when he threw three interceptions in a 24-6 loss to New England. He hasn’t played since because of a shoulder injury, but he needs to play some in these final three.

Do you throw Darnold immediately to the wolves in the final three games, though?

Two of those three games — including next Sunday’s — are against a hungry Tampa Bay team that is trying to defend its Super Bowl title. That’s not the ideal situation to regain your confidence, which is why he should just have a couple of series on Sunday.

And then there’s Walker, who was supposed to play Sunday but never did. He will need to be an afterthought now for these last three games, barring injury.

On Sunday, the Panthers gave the whole game to Newton, who ran for a TD, passed for a TD, underthrew a deep ball on what should have been another TD, messed up on a fourth-and-1 by audibling out of a run play to an ill-advised screen, fought his guts out as usual and just wasn’t quite good enough.

Again.

Cam Newton is 0-for-12 as a starter

If you’re keeping score, Newton is 0-12 in his last 12 starts as a Panther. Even the biggest Newton apologist has a difficult time explaining away that statistic.

Particularly, Newton — who ran for 71 yards Sunday and had 159 passing yards on 38 attempts — can’t connect on deep balls anymore.

The Panthers let him go the first time, before the 2020 season, partly because they were concerned about his throwing shoulder. Now, once again, the Panthers can’t make defenses worry about the deep ball. DJ Moore got open by five yards on a deep route in the second quarter, but Newton underthrew him badly and the ball was incomplete.

“Certainly right now, passing down the field is not one of our strengths,” said Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, who added that Newton too often held the ball while under duress.

Said Panther wide receiver Robby Anderson: “The whole year we haven’t had too much of a vertical game. I wouldn’t say just the last 4-5 weeks.”

Anderson is right. The Panthers weren’t explosive under Darnold, either, in the second half of the season. But Darnold did have three straight 300-yard games early, and he’s still got a live arm. And maybe without Joe Brady’s complicated offense to think so much about — Jeff Nixon has definitely simplified things over the past couple of weeks — Darnold will do a bit better.

It’s worth a try. Rhule said after the Buffalo loss he would address Darnold’s availability on Monday.

“I probably won’t speak too much about moving forward till I get back and I see what Sam’s health status is,” Rhule said. “... You guys know me pretty well. I’m not going to make big statements right after the game.”

But it’s time to see what Darnold can do, while also not ignoring the contribution Newton has made and honoring him.

For the final three games: Cam, and then Sam.