Sep 12, 2019; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) jogs onto the field prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

Former Panthers QB Cam Newton get's pitch-perfect assessment from ex-NFL player

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 8:12 AM ET

Cam Newton has an overall football resume that very few can match. The former Carolina Panthers QB is a Heisman winner, NJCAA National Football Champion, NCAA Champion, first overall draft pick, Rookie of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, MVP, multi-time Pro Bowl QB, All-Pro, and NFC Champion.

There's a case to be made that, through college and the NFL, there are only a handful of names that have been better than Newton historically. According to one former NFL player turned analyst, there actually aren't any.

Cam Newton hailed as greatest football player ever

Cam Newton had one incredible football career. He had to transfer from Florida, but from then on, he dominated the sport. He won at every level except the NFL, which is where he "only" had an MVP and Super Bowl berth.

Former NFL player David Pollack did not mince words about the former QB. "Auburn is retiring Cam Newton’s jersey," he said on Monday. "Since my time covering the game as an analyst, I have never seen a better football player. Size, athletic, tough, competitive. Literally carried his 2010 team to a chip

There is really a strong argument to be made. So few players have ever won the Heisman and MVP awards, and that really only scratches the surface of what Newton did during his time on the field. He carried an Auburn team that had no future NFL player on offense and one player who ever even played an NFL snap on defense to an undefeated title season.

And in the NFL, he dragged a very much below-average offense to the Super Bowl and a 15-1 regular season record. Philly Brown never played anywhere else, and Ted Ginn Jr. was a bust everywhere else before landing with Newton. Greg Olsen and Jonathan Stewart were good, but they were far from great.

Few players have done what Newton has done in his career, and that's more than enough for Pollack, who spent time watching the QB closely, to consider him the best that he has ever seen pick up a football.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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