Sir Purr
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- Mar 16, 2019
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INDIANAPOLIS – What does Matt Rhule have to say about Cam Newton?
That was always going to be the big question for Carolina's new head coach at his first NFL Combine, but things ratcheted up when Ian Rapaport of NFL Network reported that the team is planning to move forward with Newton a few hours before Rhule was set to take the podium.
Everyone wanted to hear what Rhule had to say on the matter, and he wasted no time addressing it.
"I know there will be a lot of questions about Cam (Newton). My son keeps calling me asking me questions, so I figured I'd address that right off the bat," Rhule said.
"From my perspective, I'm unbelievably excited to get to work with Cam. Coming from the outside, you kind of know as a fan, but just on a personal note getting to know him, he is a diligent guy. He's working so hard both in Atlanta and in Carolina to get himself healthy. You meet him, he's this massive man, impressive man, and I've really enjoyed getting to know him. I've enjoyed getting to sit down in the cafeteria when he comes by, sit down in my office. I think he's doing a great job. For me, the way he balances being a great father, the way he balances being a great quarterback, and the things he's done in the community are really, really important. I want to make sure I say that. I'm excited to get him healthy. Obviously, that's the number one goal for us. He's doing a great job of doing his part. We have to make sure we're doing our part as we try to get him healthy for the 2020 season."
OK then. Certainly a strong statement in support of the former NFL MVP.
Rhule was then asked about Newton's status as the starting quarterback. There's a lot we still don't know about the 2020 Panthers – like who will be added via the draft and free agency – but here's how Rhule answered the question.
"I don't think I'm going to say anybody's a starter yet. Just in the first year I think it's really important for me as I go in there that I want to create a culture of competition," Rhule said. "I want to create a culture where nothing is promised to anybody.
"That being said, I don't think that has anything to do with Cam, that just has to do with overall philosophy. When it comes to Cam, Cam's a special player. Really the only thing that matters right now is getting him healthy. But I want to make sure I say I'm excited to have him here. I want him to be here. I want to coach him."
Rhule may not have answered the starter question directly, but he knows what a healthy Newton is capable of.
"When healthy, I think there's no doubt about who he is and what he can do," Rhule said, "so we just have to get him there."
So we've established how critical it is for Newton get healthy. Rhule emphasized that Tuesday and it's what owner David Tepper has been saying all along.
What does that timeline look like? Rhule didn't want to speculate, pointing out that it all depends on how Newton's body responds to treatment.
"We have to make sure we have a process," said Rhule, who admitted he uses that process word frequently. "We bring him back slowly and with a new system, Joe Brady's first year in the system, that we make sure he's in the meetings and all those things so that he learns the system. His talent, there's not a question about that. It's really just a matter of making sure that he's full speed when he comes back."