"CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- He's back. Again. Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton uttered the words "I'm back'' in 2021 when he scored a touchdown on his first play as a 32-year-old replacement for injured Sam Darnold. He uttered them again Wednesday on a social media post from the team that insinuated the now 36-year-old television-radio-podcast star will be at Bank of America Stadium to strike the "Keep Pounding'' drum before Saturday's wild-card playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams."
"It will be the first home playoff game for Carolina (8-9) since Newton and the 2015 team hosted and won the NFC championship against the Arizona Cardinals to reach Super Bowl 50. "It'll be electric," Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn said on Wednesday of Newton potentially hitting the ceremonial drum. "That'll be something everybody will want to see. It'll mean a lot to this organization, a lot to this city. "It'll be lit.""
"Newton and the Panthers lost the Super Bowl, and injuries plagued the next four seasons for the top pick of the 2011 draft. He was released in March 2020. He returned in November 2021 when Darnold was injured. But, after scoring touchdowns the first two times he touched the ball as a backup, he went 0-5 as the team's starter and was released after the season."
Cam Newton is expected to appear at Bank of America Stadium to strike the 'Keep Pounding' drum before the Panthers' wild-card game against the Los Angeles Rams. The appearance will be Carolina's first home playoff game since Newton and the 2015 team won the NFC championship to reach Super Bowl 50. Newton scored a touchdown on his first play after returning in 2021 as a 32-year-old replacement for Sam Darnold but went 0-5 as the team's starter and was released after that season. Injuries affected Newton in the four seasons following the Super Bowl loss, and he was released in March 2020. Newton expressed that he felt "hurt" when the organization did not include him with other team legends for pregame events prior to a regular-season game in Munich.
Read at ESPN.com
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