Carolina Panthers

Reigning MVP Cam Newton knows who would get his vote for this year's award

Published Dec. 29, 2016 6:47 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

Cam Newton’s one-year run as NFL MVP will soon come to an end thanks to his sub-par season and the Carolina Panthers missing the playoffs. So who would get his vote for this year’s award?

Newton believes injured Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr should supplant him.

"For him, and his importance to his team," Newton said, via the Tampa Bay Times. "When we played Oakland, it was a different team. When he came back in ... the energy was just as impactful as anybody coming back in the game, and what he meant to his team was everything. That's why I'd vote for him."

Carr has been nothing short of spectacular this season, throwing for 3,933 yards with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. He’s guided the Raiders to a 12-3 mark and their first playoff berth since 2002.

But Carr’s season ended last weekend, when he suffered a broken leg that will force him to miss Oakland’s postseason run.