This week, the Carolina Panthers will be visiting their division rival Atlanta Falcons—who have become a study in what happens to NFL teams when they can't find a new franchise quarterback.
Since Matt Ryan's last season in 2021, Atlanta has started six different quarterbacks in Week 1. Most recently, they trotted out veteran backup Cooper Rush, who bombed against the Pittsburgh Steelers this past Sunday and seems likely to start again in Week 2 against Carolina.
Meanwhile, Tua Tagovailoa is dealing with an oblique strain, Michael Penix Jr. apparently doesn't feel comfortable enough to start yet and the only healthy quarterback on the roster is undrafted rookie Jack Strand—as Rush suffered from back spasms the day before the season opener.
The situation
is so dire that some fans have called for the organization to call Panthers legend Cam Newton out of retirement, a scenario that seems to intrigue the Atlanta native—who has admitted previously that he is still a Falcons fan. Newton responded to the following post by Bleacher Report with one mysterious word: "-1ǒVẼ????????"
He also took some time out from the latest episode of his YouTube show, 4th & 1 with Cam Newton, to respond to the rumors . . .
Newton hasn't appeared in an NFL game since the 2021 season, when he enjoyed a brief and fruitless comeback with the Panthers—going 0-5 as a starter under former head coach Matt Rhule. And although he has yet to officially retire, he's probably played his last down.
Now that he's been away from the game for five years, Newton will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time in 2027.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers legend Cam Newton responds to comeback chatter amidst Falcons' QB woes
