Are you a mediocre football team that’s tired of having to game-plan around your own quarterback? Do you wish you had more than just a game manager under center? Would your life be easier if the best player on your team actually played the most important position on the field?

Well, we have a deal for you!

Carolina Panthers, get ready for the bargain of a lifetime! What if I told you that you could have the great Cameron Jerrell Newton as your starting quarterback in 2020 all for the low, low base salary of $18.6 million? Sounds to good to be true? It’s not, and all you have to do is . . . absolutely nothing, because he’s already there.

On Tuesday, the team announced its decision to end their franchise quarterback’s 2019 regular season and put him on injured reserve. Immediately the speculation began: is it possible the Panthers could move on from Newton next year? Some are even suggesting it’s a desirable outcome.

The idea is foolish, especially since Carolina doesn’t have anyone who can effectively replace him.

Kyle Allen is not better for this team than Newton. All those cockamamie television graphics you see every week comparing their recent win/loss records all lack context and promote a false narrative. For a backup Allen is perfectly adequate. He’s not a starter though, at least not yet.

Those who believe otherwise may point you to the $19.1 million in cap space the team can save if they release or trade Newton next season. His cap number is a point to be made in favor of keeping him, though.

If he stays, Newton will earn $21.l million next year, As of this writing, that would stand as just the 14th-most expensive cap hit for a quarterback in 2020.

Assuming Newton enters the next campaign with a full bill of health and is even 80 percent of the player he’s been – which is still better than most starters in this league – $21.1 million is a small price to pay for a quarterback Bill Belichick labeled public enemy No. 1.

It is fair to be skeptical about Newton’s ability to stay on the field. You also have to consider the context. What would the Panthers even do if Cam were to be sacrificed for that $19.1 million? Starting Allen a full season is not realistic, nor third-round pick Will Grier at this point in his development.

Could they sign somebody? The free agent quarterback class of 2020 has names like Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Eli Manning, Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton. None of them are better than a healthy Newton.

Picking up a difference-making QB in the 2020 draft is also a long shot. Since they’re not going to have a top-10 pick, the likelihood that they’ll get a worthy prospect at the position is not good.

Newton is still the team’s best option because this team was built to win around him – and win now.

In 2019, the Panthers were supposed to give Cam the best group of skill players he’s ever had. They accomplished that, but then they lost the centerpiece of the plan. Fast-forward to 2020 and they’ll still have a young, potent group with an extra year of seasoning.

The last time Newton was truly Newton was in the first half of last season, when he was playing better than he ever had. Give that QB this supporting cast and the Panthers would be potent contender, indeed. It’s possible Newton will never get back to that level. It is certainly worth a try, though.

It’s also the least this organization can do given what he has meant to them for the last decade.