I wanted to put Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton higher on this list, and I’ve seen others where he was listed at No. 15.
There’s no way that’s possible.
But it’s hard to get the former NFL MVP any higher this spot, based on the simple criteria of which QB I’d want in a must-win game.
Newton’s skill set is about as dynamic as it gets. But something changed in 2016. Perhaps it was the lack of supporting weapons around him. Maybe the Panthers offensive line gave up too many hits, which seemed to bring Newton back down to earth.
Maybe he and the team were still experiencing the hangover effects from the ugly loss in Super Bowl 50. We don’t know.
At any rate, Newton is still an elite quarterback. And with rookie running back Christian McCaffrey in town, Newton should be able to bounce back nicely.