Carolina Panthers

2016 NFL championship round: One QB is not like the others

Published Jan. 18, 2016 12:46 a.m. ET

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Age is just a number for Cam Newton, who knows he’s the young guy of the remaining playoff quarterbacks.

Via Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer:

Not only is Newton the young guy up against three veteran quarterbacks who have all put together solid resumes (with Brady and Manning having Hall of Fame resumes), but it's more than that. Newton is in the process of quickly showing us what success in the NFL may look like in the very near future.

The leader of the Carolina Panthers doesn't just get it done with his arm, as he threw for 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns this season, but he runs over people with his legs as well.

Newton's 636 rushing yards are good for nearly nine times as many rushing yards as Brady, Palmer and Manning combined. His 10 rushing touchdowns? Those are 2.5 times more than those three players combined (only thanks to Brady having three this season).

Hate it or love it, Cam Newton is changing the game.

While there's no questioning the talent of Newton as a passer, think about how many quarterbacks bring a dual-threat ability to the table. Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, Teddy Bridgewater, Tyrod Taylor, Alex Smith, rookies Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, as well as even Blake Bortles and Ryan Fitzpatrick to some extent.

It's a solid list of talent, and it's obvious when looking at the fact that many NFL teams have veteran quarterbacks who they'll likely replace sooner than later, that we may see even more dual-threat options running wild in the NFL.

Now, that's obviously nothing against players like Brady, Manning and Palmer of course, but it seems to just be the evolution of the league itself. Can Newton continue to prove that his way is the way of the future? Very few have slowed him down since the middle of the 2014 NFL season, and if one of these remaining teams can't figure out a way to do it, we may very well see the Panthers and Newton crowned as 2016 Super Bowl champions.

Jeff Smith writes about the NFL for FOX Sports. You can find him on Twitter @JSM8ith.