Said guard Trai Turner: "The tough part is when everybody doesn't know the full spectrum of things that are going on. It's a tough game. You have a lot of guys going out there and battling… Cam gives us his best no matter what is going on. I couldn't be more proud of him and in a sense I'm happy that he's able to get himself together now."

Added running back Christian McCaffrey: "I hate to see all the negative stuff going (Cam's) way, because if people really knew what he was going through, they'd bite their tongue a little bit. He's been a true champion, to push through what he's pushed through and also know when to give it to the next guy."

Monday night's loss to the Saints was the low point for Newton. His 131 passing yards and his 52.5 passer rating were both season lows. He completed 16-of-29 passes, with only one of the completions traveling more than 10 yards in the air.

"Some of the DBs would actually tell us on the field, 'We're not scared of y'all going deep.' They've actually mentioned that multiple times," wide receiver Jarius Wright said.

With the Panthers now 6-8 following six consecutive losses, it was time to sit the ailing franchise quarterback.

His teammates know how hard that is for Newton to accept, no matter the circumstances.

"I know in his mind he feels like he's letting his teammates down," Kalil said.