According to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL.com, the Panthers are expected to trade Cam Newton this offseason provided they can get a large haul.

“Newton is due just $18.6 million for 2019, a cheap asset that Carolina hasn’t ruled out holding onto if he can show he can be himself again. In today’s game, nearly $19 million for a starting QB is not expensive. However, the expectation is that the Panthers will attempt to trade Newton this offseason provided they can get a large deal to make it worth their while.”

Consider us skeptical about this report. We’re cynical but fans should always take game-day trade reports and rumors with a grain of salt. It also goes against what we have heard from the organization.

Owner David Tepper has said that no decision will be made about Cam Newton’s future until he’s 100%. He’s having surgery to repair his injured foot this week. How long it takes for Newton to recover depends, but until it happens it would come as a shock to see Newton get traded.

If Rapoport is right, then the Panthers are likely on the verge of a major rebuild. Whether they trade Cam or not, the roster is going to look dramatically different in 2020 given all the pending free agents they have. The team will also be starting over with a new head coach, so in some ways it makes sense to clean the slate and let them pick their own QB.

That said, talented franchise quarterbacks like Newton don’t come along very often. If they do the deal, this front office group might be looking for his successor for a long time.