First appearance, after 793 days.

Cam Newton gets the ball, takes two steps forward, turns to the right, leaves three opponents standing.

Touchdown!

Second appearance, two and a half minutes later.

Newton gets the ball, drops to the right, runs four or five steps, throws, and a teammate catches.

Touchdown!

Jan Ehrhardt

Sports editor.

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"I'm back!

I'm baaack! ”Shouts the quarterback into the crowded arena, tears his helmet off his head, fixes the cameras, sends a message: I'm back!

Back in the jersey of the Carolina Panthers after 793 days.

After a noisy breakup more than two years ago, back at the old employer.

After a deep fall to the brink of insignificance, now a sensational comeback.

From the couch to the spotlight

The return of what was once the most valuable player in the National Football League (NFL) to the Panthers, the team he made the Super Bowl with in 2016, was a spectacle. At the Arizona Cardinals, one of the favorites for the title this season, Carolina achieved a surprisingly clear 34:10 win on Sunday. Newton, unemployed in the past few months, surprised with his athleticism and precision.

Just three days earlier, he'd signed his new, multi-million dollar contract, and head coach Matt Rhule, who played a key role in Newton's breakup in 2019, initially indicated: No, Cam won't play from the start, and no, probably not to be a substitute either. “We first have to see where he is physically.” A single training session was enough for Newton, nicknamed “Superman”, but to make it clear: I'm ready. Rhule revised his mind, nominated the newcomer as the second playmaker for the game in Arizona. The rest is history.

That the 32-year-old American was even allowed to play so fast is also surprising for another reason. Strict rules apply to non-employed players during the corona pandemic if they want to return to the NFL. Comprehensive physical tests must be completed, which may only be carried out by medical personnel certified by the league, as well as the precisely timed test series for Covid-19.

For unvaccinated players, the path is made much more difficult with even stricter conditions. Newton, a long vaccine skeptic, but now according to his own statement, was spared that, even if he shouldn't have had much free time in the past few days: Last Tuesday he received a call from Carolina asking if he could imagine returning, on Thursday he flew to a meeting with trainer Rhule and team owner David Tepper, then the signature followed.

This is also surprising, because the Panthers had separated from their former star quarterback for good reasons. After years of success, the extroverted Newton failed to perform more and more often, and a number of injuries set him back. Those in charge in Carolina wanted a fresh start, with a new head coach (Rhule) and a new playmaker. This declaration of intent was followed by weeks of a partly publicly fought mud battle. Finally Newton packed his things, and the Panthers, they believed, took a step forward.

According to both parties, the fact that their paths now crossed again is mainly due to the "good conversation" last week (and undoubtedly also to the potential ten million dollars that Carolina is willing to transfer Newton for half a season), but even more to the tough business of the NFL. For Newton, his new employer, the New England Patriots, ended this summer after just one season after there was a "misunderstanding" in the application of the Covid-19 protocols and he was therefore in quarantine part of the preparation missed, whereupon the Patriots fired him. And the Panthers, whose owner Tepper is the richest of the NFL's 32 team owners, with a net worth of $ 15.8 billion,simply made bad decisions on the most important team position.

Neither Teddy Bridgewater, who was signed as Newton's successor, nor Sam Darnold, who was signed as Bridgewater's successor, brought the desired development.

After Darnold's injury a few weeks ago, I returned to Newton, who was also looking for the limelight.

At least they say, the team and the players want to create a successful future together, the play-offs are attainable - and leave the past behind.

At least that shouldn't be difficult for Newton.

He was sitting on the couch the day before, he said on Sunday, and ate muesli.