Newton completed 11-of-22 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns, and added 51 rushing yards on 12 carries Sunday in Tampa Bay.

Newton wasn't very accurate throwing the ball, but led the Panthers in both carries and rushing yards. Both of his touchdowns came on drives where the Panthers got a short field thanks to Jameis Winston interceptions, thus sweetening an otherwise ugly-looking passing stat line. Newton's dual-threat ability as both a rusher and a passer gives him a myriad of ways to accrue value every week, so an isolated poor performance in one of those two facets is no cause for concern.

Newton completed 20-of-31 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's win over New Orleans. He added 33 yards and another score on the ground.

Newton collected his highest passing-yardage total since Week 2 of the 2011 season. Coming into Sunday's game, Newton had the second lowest completion percentage and fourth lowest quarterback rating in the league. In those games, tight end Greg Olsen had a total of seven catches for 81 yards. On Sunday, Olsen had eight grabs for 134 yards. With limited weapons on the outside in the absence of Kelvin Benjamin, expect Newton's effectiveness as a passer to be tied to the success of his tight end.

Newton was 18-for-37 through the air for 195 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in Sunday's win over the Texans. He also led the team with 76 rushing yards and a touchdown in 10 attempts.

While he failed to top 200 yards through the air for the second straight game, Newton came through for his fantasy owners with a strong contribution in the ground game and a pair of long touchdown passes. It is evident that the Panthers plan to run Newton more than the 7.4 times per game he averaged last season, and Sunday showed the type of fantasy return he is capable of providing even with mediocre passing yardage totals. Next up for the Panthers is a divisional showdown in Week 3, when the struggling Saints come to town.

Newton completed 18-of-31 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown with one interception against the Jaguars on Sunday. He also carried the ball 14 times for 35 yards in a 20-9 win.

A quiet season opener from Newton in what was a relatively soft matchup, but he did spread the ball around to nine different receivers as top target Greg Olsen was held to just one catch for 12 yards. Despite his inefficiency on the ground, Newton's fantasy value stands to benefit from the increased rushing attempts as the Panthers turn to the running game a bit more to compensate for the loss of Kelvin Benjamin (35 rushing attempts, 31 pass attempts on Sunday). Cam and company will take on the Texans at home in Week 2.

Newton completed 17-of-28 pass attempts for 160 yards and a touchdown in Friday's game against New England. He also rushed one time for two yards.

Newton failed to lead Carolina to a touchdown in the first half, but tossed a short score to Mike Tolbert early in the third quarter. The veteran Newton would have posted better stats, if not for a couple of ugly drops by Corey Brown, including an easy 30-yard touchdown at one point in the first half. Newton could certainly use rookie WR Devin Funchess (hamstring - DNP on Friday), as the Panthers deal with the season-ending injury to Kelvin Benjamin.

Newton completed four of 10 passes for 42 yards and an interception in Saturday's preseason game against the Dolphins.

With Kelvin Benjamin (torn ACL) out for the season, Newton's already-shaky supporting cast is now among the worst in the league, with glaring weaknesses at wide receiver and offensive tackle. The Panthers hope Devin Funchess (hamstring) will step up and provide a viable replacement for Benjamin, but the second-round rookie was held out of Saturday's exhibition, thus missing out on an opportunity to work with Newton in a game setting.

Newton completed 5-of-10 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown in Friday's preseason opener against the Bills.

Picking up where he left off last season, Newton honed in on Kelvin Benjamin, who caught 3-of-5 targets for 36 yards and a touchdown. After getting just one first down on the first two drives, Newton led the first-team offense 80 yards on the third and final series. He's healthier now than he was at any point last season, and he may have an improved supporting cast.

Newton will continue to be a strong component in the Panthers' rushing attack, the Charlotte Observer reports.

Newton has emerged as arguably the NFL's best dual-threat quarterback through his first four seasons, but that ability has also caused Newton to take a considerable amount of hits since entering the league. Additionally, a number of injuries last season resulted in further concern over Newton's long-term durability. Nonetheless, Panthers' GM David Gettleman revealed in a recent interview that Carolina does not plan on restricting Newton's running opportunities, as such action could inhibit their best playmaker.

Newton and the Panthers have agreed to a five-year, $103 million contract extension, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports.

In the first three years of the deal, Newton will rake in $67.6 million, which is the record for most money in a three-year span in NFL history. His dual threat status has resulted in at least 18 touchdown throws in each of his first four seasons and 33 total scores on the ground. However, his passing yardage has decreased in each campaign, as his receiving corps experienced some flux with the departure of Steve Smith prior to last season. Newton will aim to bounce back with the likes of WR Kelvin Benjamin (hamstring) and TE Greg Olsen.

Newton is reportedly close to finalizing a contract extension with the Panthers that would keep him with the team through the 2020 season, the News and Observer reports.

Per the report, such a deal -- which could average in the neighborhood of $20 million -- could be completed as soon as Monday. Newton, who the Panthers selected first overall in the 2011 draft, recorded 3,127 passing yards to go along with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 14 games last season.

Newton finished the 2014 campaign with 3,127 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and also gained 539 rushing yards and five touchdowns across 14 games played this season.

Newton's 2014 season was largely overshadowed by injuries, as he entered the season coming off ankle surgery in March, then endured a slight ribs fracture during the preseason, before a scary December car accident left him with two fractures in his back. Overall, those ailments forced Newton to miss two games, ending his previously unblemished three-year string of starts. Over the course of the season, the Panthers' reliance on Newton to run the ball while operating behind a patchwork offensive line certainly raised questions over his health even when in uniform. Furthermore, a revamped receiving corp put additional pressure on Newton to carry an inconsistent offense, which is reflected in the quarterback's career-low numbers in most statistical categories. Although it was easily his worst season from a fantasy perspective, the Panthers rightfully aim to keep Newton as their franchise quarterback long-term. As a result, Newton is expected to reach a lucrative extension with Carolina this offseason, since 2015 is the final year on his current deal. With the former No. 1 draft pick secured, the Panthers' front office is then expected to help surround Newton with better weapons, which along with a healthy offseason, could potentially help Newton improve his numbers next season.

Newton completed 23-of-36 passes for 246 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed for 37 yards on 11 carries in Saturday's Divisional Round loss to the Seahawks.

His 90-yard pick-six to Kam Chancellor with less than six minutes remaining sealed the Panthers' fate, but it was a respectable performance overall from Newton. The 25-year-old certainly had his ups and downs this season, but he made do with what he had, and both he and the team can be encouraged with their play over the final month-plus. Look for Carolina to find Newton more offensive weapons this offseason.

Newton completed 18-of-32 passes for 198 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while running for 35 yards against Arizona on Saturday.

It was an ugly game from Newton, who was bailed out by a nifty catch and run by Fozzy Whittaker on a 39-yard touchdown catch at one point, and a questionable red-zone defensive pass interference call at a later point that paved the way for a one-yard Mike Tolbert touchdown reception. Newton had accuracy and mechanics issues and, while he endured poor blocking at times, he made things harder on himself by failing to identify blitz threats pre-snap. He also seemed to get dinged up at a couple points, so he might end up on the injury report leading up to the next playoff round.

Newton completed 10-of-16 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-3 win at Atlanta. He also had six carries for 51 yards with a touchdown on the ground.

In a game with the NFC South title on the line, Newton didn't need to do a lot, as Carolina's defense dominated Matt Ryan and the entire Falcons' offense. He was impressive when he did throw, and his rushing yards gave a nice boost to those fantasy owners that needed him in Week 17. If you're participating in a playoff league, note that the Panthers will host the Cardinals next week, a team that has really struggled down the stretch with QB issues. Therefore, Newton could be a sneaky option, given that he has a reasonable chance to play at least two games.

Coach Ron Rivera indicated Monday that Newton (back) came out of Sunday's win over the Browns healthy, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

Newton may still appear on the Panthers' Week 17 injury report, but with no setbacks in his return to action Sunday, the QB is on track to start this coming weekend's NFC South showdown against the Falcons, with the division title at stake.

Newton (back) completed 18-of-31 passes for 201 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, while also adding 63 rushing yards and another score on 12 carries during Sunday's win over the Browns.

Playing in his first game since suffering two transverse fractures in his back, Newton showed early on that the injury would not be an issue, rushing on his second play from scrimmage and then breaking off a 15-yard run later in the drive. He connected with seven different receivers on the day, throwing his lone touchdown to running back Jonathan Stewart with 7:07 left in the game to put the Panthers up for good. Up next is a Week 17 matchup against the Falcons, with the winner taking the NFC South title.

Newton (back) is active and will start Sunday's game against the Browns, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Newton has been given the green light by doctors and will be back under center after missing just one game due to his back injury. He will wear a protective vest, but he still may be a bit tender just 12 days after the accident, so he may be more tentative than usual to escape the pocket and make plays happen with his feet. Plus, if the Browns defense is hemorrhaging rushing yards like it did last week, Newton may spend much of the day handing the ball off to Jonathan Stewart.

Newton (back) is listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Browns, the Charlotte Observer's Joe Person reports.

This news makes it all but certain that Newton will be under center Sunday afternoon. Head coach Ron Rivera said Newton is "on track" to start and that "everything is positive" regarding the quarterback's injury. You'll want to confirm his status Sunday before using him, but Newton looks like he will be safe to deploy, though he may not need to go to the air very frequently against the Browns if the running game is gashing Cleveland's D like the Bengals did last week.

Newton (back) practiced fully Thursday, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports. Barring a setback, coach Ron Rivera said that he "probably" expects Newton to start Sunday versus the Browns, according to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer.

During Newton's media session, he relayed that he's experienced no discomfort in practice the past two days. While admitting he must be "100 percent" for the Panthers to clear him, Rivera's eventual decision will be predicated on his ability to avoid an aggravation of his back in advance of Sunday's game. Expect Rivera to make the call between Newton and Derek Anderson on Friday.

Newton (back) handled all first-team reps in the individual portion of drills Thursday, Joe Person of Charlotte Observer reports.

The development comes one day removed from Newton splitting reps with his backup, Derek Anderson, and could mean that the former is on track to start in Week 16 against the Browns. Such a decision is expected to be made by coach Ron Rivera on Friday, which won't leave owners in limbo heading into the weekend.