The Carolina Panthers went just 5-11 this past season, marking their worst finish since 2010 when they went 2-14. A big reason for the Panthers' lack of success in 2019 was their revolving door at quarterback, and as of right now, it doesn't look like they have decided what they should do about that going into 2020.

Cam Newton began the year under center, but bowed out after just two games due to a foot injury. Kyle Allen took over and led Carolina to four straight wins right off the bat, but the honeymoon ended rather quickly, as the Panthers fell off a cliff from that point moving forward, leading to Will Grier taking the reins for the last couple of weeks.

Right now, Newton is labeled as the starter heading into next season, but it seems pretty obvious that Carolina does not feel entirely comfortable with that.

It should be noted that the Panthers own the seventh overall pick in the NFL Draft next month, and the general consensus is that Oregon's Justin Herbert will be on the board at that spot. However, people seem to be divided on whether or not Carolina will actually pull the trigger on him.

The question is this: Can the Panthers really stay competitive with Newton at signal-caller anymore?

There was a time when Newton was a dominant force. He won NFL MVP as recently as 2015 after throwing 35 touchdowns and leading Carolina to a 15-1 record en route to a Super Bowl appearance.

Since then, however, Newton's talents have eroded, thanks much in part to injuries (he has undergone a pair of shoulder surgeries since then) and the natural course of aging.

He no longer can move like he once did, and it's clear as day that his arm strength has dissipated, which is a major issue considering Newton was never the most accurate passer.

Dating back to 2018, the Panthers have lost eight straight games with Newton as the starter. Small sample size? Maybe. An alarming trend? Perhaps.

Realistically, Carolina does not even have enough talent in general to seriously contend for a Super Bowl in 2020, regardless of how well Newton plays. Plus, with Newton turning 31 years old in May, bringing him back may seem like a rather pointless venture to some.

Still, the Panthers don't really have another choice.

Even if Carolina does take Herbert, the club will likely want Newton (who is entering the final year of his contract) around to a.) help mentor him, and b.) take some of the pressure off him during his rookie campaign.

Does that mean the Panthers will be competitive with Newton calling the shots? Probably not, but again, that's not necessarily all on Newton, because outside of Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore, this club is just bereft on talent as a whole.

Carolina is so limited that some have even suggested that the team should trade McCaffrey to recoup some value in terms of young talent and/or draft picks to build for the future.

Let's be real: The Panthers probably won't be contending for much of anything next season, regardless of who is under center.