Cam Newton rejoined the Carolina Panthers for 1 reason: to try to help them have success.

After signing a 1-year contract to return to Carolina on Thursday, Newton is now with the team. And on Friday, the 32-year-old quarterback wanted to make sure it’s clear what his focus is on when he spoke to the media at his press conference.

“Everybody wants to make it about, ‘Cam’s back,’ this, that and the third,” Newton said at his press conference. “It’s really not. You know why I’m here. And this ain’t for no ploy, this ain’t for no ticket sales, this ain’t for no Cinderella story. It’s to win football games. And that’s pretty much what’s on my heart, and that’s how I’m going about it.”

Newton, who played for the Panthers from 2011-19, spent the 2020 season with the New England Patriots, starting 15 games for them. However, he was released prior to the start of the 2021 campaign, as the Pats opted to go with rookie QB Mac Jones as their starter.

Since getting let go at the end of August, Newton had been a free agent. So, how’s the former Auburn quarterback currently feeling after spending more than 2 months away from football?

“It’s safe to say I’ve been staying pretty ready,” Newton said. “But it’s still a process, though. Being away from the game for as long as I have, realistically, of course everybody wants to say, ‘Oh man, it’s this, it’s that, it’s this, it’s that.’ I think my biggest impact that I kind of want to drive and I want to be driven home is accountability. I’m holding myself accountable to make sure that I do anything Coach [Matt] Rhule asks of me, as well as Coach Joe [Brady] and making sure that if they can trust me being a trusted teammate, then I can hold everybody else accountable. …

“I can promise you that my mental going into this type of situation is bring the pride back to Carolina in ways that I know how and others know how, too. It’s just making sure that maximize each and every day.”

Newton won’t be starting Sunday, as P.J. Walker will be under center for Carolina’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. In addition to Newton, the Panthers also signed fellow veteran Matt Barkley this week to help make up for the loss of Sam Darnold, who is currently out with a fracture in his right shoulder.

But at some point, Newton could get back on the field for Carolina. And if that happens, he’ll look to try to play as well as he did in his previous stint with the team and help it get into the playoffs.