CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers will host their first playoff game in 10 years Saturday at Bank of America Stadium, and the quarterback who helped the Panthers clinch a Super Bowl berth that day could be in the building.
The Panthers have reached out to Cam Newton about beating the Keep Pounding drum before their wild-card game against the Los Angeles Rams and are optimistic the most iconic player in franchise history will attend, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
It would be Newton’s first game at BoA Stadium since 2021 when he re-signed with the Panthers late in the season following an injury to Sam Darnold. It also could represent a thawing of the chilly relationship between Newton and the franchise that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2011.
The Panthers have brought back several players from the 2015 Super Bowl team this season to hit the trademark drum, including Greg Olsen, Jordan Gross and Ryan Kalil. Fans took to social media this week to lobby for Newton to serve as the Keep Pounding drummer for the Panthers’ first home playoff game since their 49-15 rout of the Arizona Cardinals in the 2015 NFC Championship Game.
Cam Newton is Carolina’s all-time leader in passing yards, touchdown passes and rushing touchdowns. He was named MVP in 2015. (Bob Donnan / Imagn Images)
Newton’s presence Saturday would add to what will feel like an unofficial 10-year anniversary party for the 2015 team, which lost to the Denver Broncos 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. Olsen will be in the stadium as part of Fox’s broadcast team, while Luke Kuechly will be a couple of booths down calling the game for the Panthers’ radio network.
Newton is the only Panther to win MVP in 2015 when he led Carolina to a 15-1 regular season record and trip to the Super Bowl. After two stints with the team, he finished as Carolina’s all-time leader in multiple passing categories, including passing yards (29,725), passing TDs (186) and rushing touchdowns (63).
A team spokesperson was unable to confirm any specifics related to the Keep Pounding drummer for Saturday’s game.
Newton’s rift with the organization became public last year after the Panthers’ game in Munich. On his “4th&1″ podcast, Newton said he was hurt team officials didn’t invite him to Germany as they did other retired players like Kuechly, Steve Smith and Julius Peppers, who made appearances at fan functions in the days leading to the game against the New York Giants.
“Did it hurt my feelings? Yeah, it did,” Newton said at the time. “As a man, I’m like, damn bro, I gave this city everything.”
Newton said on the same pod he has “no quarrel” with David Tepper, the hedge-fund billionaire who bought the team in 2018, or his wife Nicole, the Panthers’ chief administrative officer. The Panthers told The Athletic last year their “doors are open” to Newton, who has been invited to team-sponsored events in recent years but did not attend, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
But that could change Saturday, in a big, loud way on an important day for the Panthers, their fans and the city of Charlotte.