The Carolina Panthers have a brand new—albeit a familiar one—toy this week. So, of course they probably want to start playing with it.
But should they just leave it in the package for a few more days? Well, offensive coordinator Joe Brady hasn’t completely throw away the possibility of letting that baby breathe.
On Friday, the second-year play-caller didn’t dismiss the thought of putting the newly-signed Cam Newton under center this week against the Arizona Cardinals. But, first, he couldn’t help but gush about the overall effect the former Most Valuable Player has on his team by just simply being there.
“I’m sure there is,” Brady said (with a smile) about there being an added energy with Newton’s arrival. “You feel his presence at all times, when he just walks in a room. And that’s something everybody’s kinda known here for years. You’re hearing it, they’re talking about it. You just know you feel his presence. I’m excited to be able to work with him, excited to see him on the football field.”
Now, how about his presence on the actual football field in Week 10? Brady, again, isn’t counting anything out at the moment.
“Everything’s on the table right now,” Brady replied when asked if they’ll have any plays ready for Newton against Arizona. “We’ll kinda evaluate from a day-to-day standpoint, without getting into specifics. And we’ll see what today brings, kinda how things progress. Just be ready to rock on Sunday and see how things go.”
Playing, let alone starting, on such short notice on a west coast trip against the owners of the league’s best record is a crazy ask. If anyone for Carolina can do it, however, it just might be their Superman.
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