Cam Newton didn’t have to be on board Matt Rhule’s ship long to know that it was going to sink.
The Carolina Panthers legend was the featured guest on Wednesday’s episode of The QB Room podcast, with hosts Jordan Palmer and Kyle Allen. (Yes, that Kyle Allen.) When Palmer asked Newton if the Panthers should’ve traded up for a quarterback in 2022, and not in 2023, Cam brought it back to another fateful decision the organization made.
“They should’ve never gotten rid of C-Mac,” he said. “First off, confidentially, I’m goin’ into waters where this is trusted source. This is information that a lot of people wouldn’t know unless you’re there. They didn’t know how to coach C-Mac. That’s the truth. There’s no reason why this guy is having 40 touches a game and he’s still practicing on Wednesday. They don’t know how to coach a star.”
While McCaffrey had himself a spectacular run in Carolina, one highlighted by the third 1,000-1,000 campaign in NFL history, the last few years of his stay was marred by injury. Newton, obviously, believes the Panthers were unable to provide their superstar running back with the proper maintenance—something the San Francisco 49ers have since figured out quite successfully.
Cam then went on to state that Rhule, whom he joined upon rejoining the franchise in the middle of 2021, couldn’t maintain an NFL locker room—let alone one guy.
“Also, Matt Rhule comes into a situation where . . . that was an interesting dynamic, too,” he said. “By the time I got there, because I come back and I’m like, ‘Yo, I’m doin’ a lot of patchwork.’ I’m coachin’ the coach!”
After a shoulder injury to then-starter Sam Darnold, the Panthers brought Newton back during Week 10. Unfortunately for both sides, it didn’t take long for the feel-good reunion to feel real bad.
Following a jaw-dropping win against the Arizona Cardinals in Newton’s brief and electric 2021 debut, the Panthers lost the remaining seven games of the season. Cam ended his second stint in Carolina, which has since been his last in the NFL, with 684 passing yards, 230 rushing yards and nine total touchdowns.
He had this to say when closing up his thoughts on Rhule:
“But the moral of the story is—coaches have to also be held to a standard that players are as well. And Matt Rhule was in over his head as far as how to operate an effective and efficient NFL locker room. And he didn’t necessarily know it.”
Rhule was fired after a 1-4 start to the very next season.
