Ranking the Top 5 Carolina Panthers Quarterbacks of All Time tchieu

As the Carolina Panthers haven't been in the NFL that long, rounding out their top five QBs was a bit of a challenge.

The Carolina Panthers have only been in existence since 1995, yet they've had more than their fair share of solid quarterbacks. The Panthers were an expansion team in '95, coming into the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Panthers made an immediate impact, going 7-9 to set a new mark for the all-time best record by an NFL expansion team. They then made the NFC title game in just their second year of existence.

In their brief history, the Panthers have appeared in two Super Bowls, losing to the New England Patriots in the 2003 season and falling to the Denver Broncos after going 15-1 in 2015.

We looked back at the short history of Panthers football and came up with the top five quarterbacks in franchise history. Here is a closer look at Carolina's best at the position.

1. Cam Newton

Cam Newton earned MVP honors for the NFC champion Panthers in 2015

Cam Newton wasted no time proving the Panthers made the right choice by selecting him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. As a rookie, the Heisman Trophy winner strutted his stuff to the tune of 4,051 passing yards and 21 touchdown passes. He also rushed 126 times for 706 yards and 14 touchdowns, helping him earn Pro Bowl honors and Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Newton didn't miss a single start in his first three NFL seasons and made a return trip to the Pro Bowl in 2013. During that season, he led the Panthers to a 12-4 mark and completed 61.7% of his passes while racking up 3,379 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes.

The Auburn alum's best season came in 2015. He and the Panthers were nearly unstoppable, finishing the regular season with a 15-1 record and earning a berth in Super Bowl 50. Newton threw for a career-high 35 touchdown passes against just 10 interceptions and added 636 yards and 10 more touchdowns on the ground. Newton was named NFL MVP and earned his first and only All-Pro selection, but his Panthers fell to the Broncos in the title game.

In 10 seasons with the Panthers, Newton went 68-60-1 and his 29,725 passing yards and his 186 touchdown passes are easily tops in franchise history. He also ran for 5,036 yards, good for third among all players in franchise history, and his 63 rushing scores rank No. 1.

2. Jake Delhomme

Jake Delhomme led the Panthers to the Super Bowl in his first year with the team

Jake Delhomme couldn't have been any different than Newton, but they are the only two quarterbacks in Panthers history to take the team to a Super Bowl. While Newton was the top pick in 2011, Delhomme went undrafted in 1997.

After a stellar college career at Southwestern Louisiana, Delhomme spent time bouncing between the New Orleans Saints and NFL Europe in his first few years as a pro. He inked a free-agent deal with the Panthers before the 2003 season and promptly guided Carolina to its second winning season in franchise history.

In his first year as a full-time NFL starter, Delhomme went 10-5 in his 15 starts. He took over the starting job from Rodney Peete in Week 1 after coming off the bench and rallying the Panthers from a 14-0 deficit against the Jaguars.

Delhomme threw for 3,219 yards and tossed 19 touchdown passes during the '03 regular season and then led the Panthers through a magical postseason run, defeating the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game to reach Super Bowl 38.

Squaring off against the New England Patriots, Delhomme threw for 323 yards and three touchdown passes, but Adam Vinatieri's late field goal secured New England's 32-29 victory.

Delhomme put up his best numbers in 2004, throwing for 3,886 yards and 29 touchdown passes, both career bests, but the Panthers finished 7-9. In 2005, he earned the lone Pro Bowl selection of his career after leading Carolina to an 11-5 mark, throwing for 3,421 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Delhomme went 53-35 in his seven-year run with the Panthers. He ranks second in team history with 19,258 passing yards and 120 touchdown passes.

3. Kerry Collins

Kerry Collins made sure the Panthers were more than just an expansion team

The first quarterback in Panthers history, Kerry Collins helped prove that Carolina was much more than just an expansion team. He was the first player selected by the Panthers in the 1995 NFL Draft, taken at No. 5 overall.

The Penn State product started 13 games as a rookie and went 7-6. As mentioned, the team finished 7-9 and set a mark for the best record for any NFL expansion team in its inaugural season. Collins threw for 2,717 yards and 14 touchdown passes but was also intercepted 19 times.

Collins and the Panthers made some serious noise the following season. The 6-foot-5, 247-pound QB started 12 games, going 9-3, and earned Pro Bowl honors after completing 56.0% of his passes and throwing for 2,454 yards and adding 14 touchdown passes.

He then led the Panthers to a berth in the NFC Championship Game, where they dropped a 30-13 decision to Brett Favre and the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

In four years with the Panthers, Collins went 22-20. He ranks fourth in team history in both passing yardage (8,306) and touchdown passes (47).

4. Steve Beuerlein

Steve Beuerlein had his breakout season with the Panthers in 1999

Although Steve Beurelein played for six different teams during his 14 years in the NFL, he found a steady home in Carolina for five seasons.

Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL Draft, Beuerlein played just two seasons with the Raiders and then had short stints with the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, and Jacksonville Jaguars before settling in with the Panthers in 1996.

During his first two seasons with the Panthers, he was primarily used as a backup to Collins. He went 4-3 in seven starts over those two years before taking over the starting role in 1998. In his first year as the starter, Beuerlein went 4-8 but led all quarterbacks with a 63.0% completion percentage.

The Notre Dame alum had his breakout season in 1999, even though the Panthers finished 8-8. He threw for a career-high 4,436 yards, which led the NFL that season, and his 36 touchdown passes were also the most in his career.

In five seasons with the Panthers, Beuerlein finished with a record of 23-28. His 12,690 passing yards and 86 touchdown passes are both good for third in franchise history.

5. Rodney Peete

Rodney Peete had a winning record in his short time with the Panthers

Here's where the list turns ugly. No. 5 is anyone's guess, but we'll reluctantly take the veteran Rodney Peete. Although Chris Weinke is fifth on the team's all-time passing yards list, he went 2-17 as a starter.

Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darnold also had losing records, and Bryce Young just hasn't put in enough time yet, so we'll make a case for Peete, who went 8-7 in his short time with the Panthers from 2002 to 2004.

Known more for his time with the Detroit Lions, Peete finished his career with three seasons in Carolina after playing for five different teams. In his first year with the Panthers, Peete made 14 starts and went 7-7, completing 58.5% of his passes for 2,630 yards and 15 touchdowns with 14 interceptions.

He was credited for a win in the 2003 season opener against the Jaguars, but, as mentioned above, it was Delhomme who guided the Panthers to a comeback victory that day.

Peete went 8-7 with the Panthers and completed 58.2% of his passes while playing for Carolina.