Career Timeline of Cam Newton: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Cam Newton made an impact.
Cam Newton is a former American football quarterback, most notably for the Carolina Panthers. He holds the NFL record for quarterback rushing touchdowns and ranks third in rushing yards. Newton achieved significant success in college, winning the Heisman Trophy and a national championship with Auburn. Drafted first overall by the Panthers in 2011, he set franchise records in passing yards, touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns.
2003: Team Start
Newton helped lead the Panthers to a 3-0 start in 2015, the first time they had done so since the 2003 NFL season, and a 4-0 record for the first time since 2003.
2007: Freshman Season at Florida
In 2007, as a freshman at the University of Florida, Cam Newton played in five games, passing for 40 yards and rushing for 103 yards with three touchdowns.
January 2009: Transferred to Blinn College
In January 2009, Cam Newton transferred to Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, to play football.
September 4, 2010: First Game at Auburn
On September 4, 2010, Cam Newton started his first game for Auburn University, accounting for 186 passing yards, 171 rushing yards, and five total offensive touchdowns in a win over Arkansas State.
December 4, 2010: SEC Championship Victory
On December 4, 2010, Cam Newton led the Auburn Tigers to an SEC Championship victory over South Carolina, earning MVP honors after passing for 335 yards and scoring six total touchdowns.
January 10, 2011: BCS National Championship Win
On January 10, 2011, Cam Newton led Auburn to a 22–19 victory over Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game.
January 2011: Newton begins working out with George Whitfield Jr.
In late January 2011, Cam Newton started training with quarterback coach George Whitfield Jr. in San Diego to prepare for the NFL Draft.
April 28, 2011: Cam Newton drafted #1 overall by Carolina Panthers
On April 28, 2011, Cam Newton was selected first overall in the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, making him the first Heisman Trophy winner since Carson Palmer in 2003 to be drafted first overall, in addition to being the first player to win the Heisman, a national championship, and be the top pick in consecution.
July 29, 2011: Newton signs contract with Carolina Panthers
On July 29, 2011, Cam Newton signed a four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth over $22 million with the Carolina Panthers.
September 1, 2011: Newton named Panthers' starting quarterback
On September 1, 2011, Cam Newton was named the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, ahead of Derek Anderson and Jimmy Clausen.
September 11, 2011: Newton's NFL Debut: Sets Rookie Passing Record
On September 11, 2011, in his NFL debut against the Arizona Cardinals, Cam Newton passed for 422 yards, setting a rookie record for most passing yards on opening day and becoming the first rookie to throw for at least 400 yards in his first career game.
December 4, 2011: Newton sets NFL rushing touchdown record for quarterbacks
On December 4, 2011, Cam Newton set the NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with his 13th touchdown of the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also caught a 27-yard pass, becoming a triple threat in the game.
December 24, 2011: Newton breaks Peyton Manning's rookie passing record
On December 24, 2011, Cam Newton broke Peyton Manning's record for most passing yards by a rookie in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He threw for 171 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown.
2011: Drafted into the NFL
In 2011, Cam Newton was drafted first overall by the Carolina Panthers and went on to set franchise records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns.
January 1, 2012: Newton becomes first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards
On January 1, 2012, Cam Newton became the first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a game against the New Orleans Saints.
2012: Rushing Touchdown Record
In Week 14 of 2012, Newton had a notable performance against Atlanta, rushing for 116 yards on nine carries.
2013: Pass Attempt Average
In 2013, Newton's average time to attempt a pass was 2.73 seconds, with the ball out in under 2.5 seconds on 40% of drop-backs.
2013: Panthers 8-game winning streak
In 2013, the Panthers went on an eight-game winning streak starting in Week 5 with Newton leading.
2013: Total Touchdowns
In 2015, Newton's 45 total touchdowns during the regular season marked the most touchdowns by a single player since 2013.
June 2, 2015: Contract Extension
On June 2, 2015, Newton and the Panthers agreed to a five-year, $103.8 million contract extension.
2015: Named NFL MVP
In 2015, Cam Newton was named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and helped Carolina obtain a franchise-best 15–1 record en route to an appearance in Super Bowl 50.
2016: Career Worst Passing Percentage
During the 2016 season, Newton completed 52.9 percent of his passes, marking a career worst in that category. The Panthers also regressed to a 6–10 record.
2016: NFL Records
During the opening game of the 2016 season, Newton broke two of Steve Young's NFL records, one for the most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback and the other for most games with a passing and rushing touchdown.
March 17, 2020: Permission to Seek Trade
On March 17, 2020, the Panthers announced that they had given Cam Newton permission to seek a trade.
July 8, 2020: Signed with the Patriots
On July 8, 2020, Cam Newton signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots.
2020: Played for the New England Patriots
In 2020, after being released by the Panthers, Cam Newton played for the New England Patriots.
March 12, 2021: Re-signed with the Patriots
On March 12, 2021, Cam Newton re-signed with the New England Patriots.
November 11, 2021: Signed with the Panthers
On November 11, 2021, Cam Newton signed a one-year deal to return to the Carolina Panthers.
