When the Panthers played the Ravens in 2018, Joe Flacco started for Baltimore at quarterback. Two games later, a hip injury forced him to the sideline and gave an opportunity for rookie Lamar Jackson to start.

Even though he had a rough outing and lost his first NFL playoff game, the future is still bright for Jackson and other quarterbacks like him. The example set by Panthers QB Cam Newton is no small factor, and he’s helping to pay it forward for the next generation.

According to William Rhoden of ESPN’s The Undefeated, Newton went out of his way to help Jackson by giving his number to general manager Ozzie Newsome to pass on.

Newton knows the deck is somewhat stacked against players with a similar background and skill set. He was just polled as the most underrated QB in the league by his defensive players leaguewide. Cam says he wants to help Jackson by serving as an outlet, per Rhoden.

“I just wanted to be a vessel or an outlet for him. … I just know being an African-American quarterback in this league, you’re facing different things than another quarterback might be facing and a lot of it is, your gift may be your curse,” Newton told Rhoden. “Your running ability may be something that people look down upon.”

Look down upon is one way to phrase it. “Ignore entirely” may be more accurate.

Despite rushing yards and rushing touchdowns having equal value to passing yards and scores, running quarterbacks have always been either overlooked or dismissed as somehow being inferior to traditional pocket passers. The way Newton is perceived is perhaps the most frustrating example.

Over the summer, one analyst had Newton ranked as the 19th-best quarterback in the NFL. Pro Football Focus was not much better, placing him at No. 17. For whatever it’s worth, I had him at No. 8.

Newton’s legs (as well as Jackson’s) should be celebrated as one of the reasons why he’s such a dynamic quarterback. Perhaps someday it will even happen. In any case, Newton deserves credit for serving as a role model for players like Jackson and Deshaun Watson.