7:44 PM
The Carolina quarterback heard the boos when he was replaced by Sam Darnold in the second quarter of the team's 32-6 loss to the Buccaneers.
The quarterback doesn't know what the future holds for him, but he believes the organization has a future under the second-year head coach.
After what could have been his last home game as a member of the Carolinas since he's not under contract for the next four years,Newton said that Rhule is a great coach. I checked and coach Rhule wasn't playing.
I know we're a good football team. I know what I see in practice and I know we can win, we're a good football team and we can do it. It's about us believing we can win and not taking the easy route and being able to grunt games away.
Rhule's decision to use both quarterbacks the rest of the way was defended by the 2015 NFL player. Rhule felt that Carolina had the best chance of winning even though he wasn't a fan of a two-quarterback system.
"I can tell you right now that it wasn't the result of the coaching,'' he said. It wasn't because of what a person said or did. We're all playing for jobs.
"If you don't think you can win and build your tenure here, you wouldn't do it.''
Rhule heard the boos, but he didn't take them personally.
Rhule said that he came from Philadelphia. It shows people care. We're not winning. I don't have a problem with that. People come to watch us play.
It's all part of being the head coach and the quarterback. I prefer passion over apathy. I would rather have pressure than nothing. I could do something else.
Despite being 10-21 with two games left this season, Rhule believes the organization is headed in the right direction.
Rhule said this past week that he has not had any discussions with his owner about his future, and that there is no indication that his job is in jeopardy less than two years after he was given a seven-year, $60 million deal.
Rhule, who moved to the NFL in 2020 after turning around college programs at Temple and Baylor, hates that fans are not winning. I know how much they want to win. I hear from them. I hear you.
When Dave hired me, he said he wanted it done right. I want it done for a long time. I want you to build it with young players.
Newton is not young. He's on his second go-around with Carolina, which made him the top pick of the 2011 draft.
He's lost 13 straight as a starter at Carolina, and he's 0-5 as the starter this year, so that doesn't help his case for a deal next year.
He was alone at the 25-yard-line in a reflective mood in the final quarter as Sam Darnold played out the game. After the game, he ran to the center of the field to give Brady a hug and then vanished into the tunnel.
Football has been good for me. I walked away unscathed. I know it sounds like I'm retiring, but it's been great. It takes more than one guy, it takes more than one talent, it takes more than a couple of guys, that's what I think about as we move forward.
Everyone understands what their role is and what they have to do.
When told that this was his last go-around, he said, "As far as this being my last go-around, nah, I don't feel like that, for more reasons than one.''
Rhule wouldn't say if he'd start over the sacked and under pressureNewton next week at New Orleans, even though he watched his quarterbacks get sacked seven times and under duress more times than not.
Rhule said that he had no anticipations right now. There wasn't a lot of information out there today, why don't we do this?
Rhule thinks that making decisions that put Carolina in the best position to win is what he expects.
He said that they have some key areas to fix. I think it's 1,000 percent working. I apologize because I know no one can see it.
