If naming the NFL’s Most Valuable Player at the halfway point of a season was an actual thing, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton might’ve been the pick back in 2018.
Vying for his second such honor, Newton had led his Panthers to a 6-2 mark by Week 9—having completed 67.3 percent of his throws for 1,893 yards, 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. And, as Cam had always done, he added another dimension on the ground—rushing for 342 yards and four more scores to that point.
