Recently-retired Auburn football legend urged to sign one-day NFL contract to finish career with Panthers

Cat Crave's Dean Jones believes that Auburn football legend Cam Newton -- who recently announced his retirement in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it fashion during Super Bowl week -- should sign a one-day contract to finish out his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers.

"Newton's comments shouldn't go unnoticed by the Panthers," Jones prefaced before saying, "They should reach out to the beloved signal-caller to see if he'd be willing to officially sign a one-day contract to retire as a member of the organization he propelled from obscurity into the national spotlight. After all his sacrifice and all the punishment taken throughout an illustrious career, some adulation in retirement is the least he deserves.

"Did Newton's career end as everyone hoped? Of course not. That doesn't detract from the immense impact he made on and off the field in Charlotte and across the next generation of signal-callers following in his footsteps."

Auburn football legend Cam Newton technically did retire as a member of the Panthers

Now wait a second...

Newton's last active season was in 2021, when he played eight games, starting five, for...Carolina. There's no functional use of a one-day contract for the 2015 MVP since he technically already retired a Panther.

The gesture would be a wholesome one, though, and could build goodwill for a franchise that has practically none right now.

Panthers owner David Tepper was last seen throwing a beer on a fan at a Jacksonville Jaguars fan during a 26-0 blowout of the Panthers at TIAA Bank Field on December 31, and after swinging and missing on Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft after giving up their 2023 first-round (No. 9) and second-round (61) picks, their 2024 first-round pick (currently No. 2), and receiver DJ Moore (their 2018 first-rounder), Carolina went 2-15 on the season.

Doing anything to honor Newton would remind Panthers fans of the heights the team reached when Superman was around; heights the franchise hasn't come close to reaching since he left in 2020.