Cam Newton won't play again for the Carolina Panthers in the 2019 regular season.
The star quarterback's foot injury hasn't progressed well enough, and the decision has been made to place him on injured reserve, which will end his regular season. The Panthers announced the news Tuesday in a statement:
“For the past seven weeks, Cam has diligently followed a program of rest and rehab and still is experiencing pain in his foot,” general manager Marty Hurney said. “He saw two foot specialists last week who agreed that he should continue that path prescribed by the team’s medical staff, and that it likely will take significant time for the injury to fully heal."
Newton would be eligible to return if the Panthers reached the playoffs, and they still have a shot with a 5-3 record.
He originally suffered a foot injury in his team's Week 3 preseason game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The 30-year-old veteran was healthy enough to play in Carolina's Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams, and he re-aggravated the injury in a Week 2 matchup versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Newton has not played since that Week 2 game.
Fantasy Football Impact
Any fantasy owners who held on to Newton hoping he would return this season now must move on to other quarterbacks. Who should you target on the waiver wire?
Here are some notable players to consider picking up:
- Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders
- Daniel Jones, New York Giants
- Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
- Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers
Kyle Allen has started in Newton's place, and he's completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 1,291 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions.
He's played well, but for fantasy football purposes, he's not someone who should be started. Allen has not thrown for more than 250 yards in each of the last five games. The Panthers also have a difficult schedule to end the season, including matchups against the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints (twice), Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts. Carolina's offense runs through running back Christian McCaffrey, and that won't change with this Newton news.
What does the future hold for Newton?
Newton's contract expires after the 2020 season, but as ESPN's Field Yates points out, his salary for next year is non-guaranteed.
Several teams across the league could use an upgrade at quarterback, and Newton is still a top-tier player at his position when healthy. If the Panthers decide to move on from Newton after this season, it would make the upcoming offseason far more interesting.
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