Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton called the 2019 season a “trying year” for the former NFL MVP, per The Athletic's Joe Person on Twitter.

Newton, 30, injured his foot early into the season after looking less-than-competent and was subsequently sidelined in favor of second-year undrafted free agent quarterback out of Houston Kyle Allen, who has been more than what the Panthers could have hoped after sitting the former number-one overall pick Newton.

Allen has thrown for 2,179 yards on a 61.9% completion rate, connecting on 13 touchdowns in nine starts. The Panthers are 5-4 in the 23-year-old's starts under center.

When Newton first went down with his sprained foot, the thought was he would return before the season's end. However, Newton's foot was not healing or improving as recently as the beginning of November. Since Allen's ascension and Newton's decline, many around the league believe the the three-time Pro-Bowl gunslinger could be gone to new pastures, either via trade to another franchise or release at the end of the season for Newton, who's currently on the injured reserve (IR) list.

According to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Newton would “welcome” a trade to the Chicago Bears.

“The likely scenario is Cam Newton is playing for a different team next offseason and here’s why — he’s due $19 million in salary and none of it is guaranteed. He is a franchise quarterback who is intent on being healthy for March,” said Rapoport on Thursday, via Brad Crawford of 247 Sports. “That means he’s very tradable, similar to Joe Flacco, a place by the way like Chicago if they’re in the market for a quarterback. From my understanding, Cam Newton would in fact welcome that if it all worked out.”

The Bears have struggled with third-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky under center, but there's no indication Chicago would give up on the developing gunslinger to take on Newton, who has now self-admitted this year hasn't gone his way and whose foot may not be the same after surgery earlier this season.