Cam Newton tried to avoid having surgery on his injured foot all season. But now that he’s on injured reserve and the Panthers have fired head coach Ron Rivera, surgery is looking to be the best route for him. According to Tiffany Blackmon of the NFL Network, Newton plans to have foot surgery. The date and location of his surgery have not been reported, but it could be soon so he will be ready for offseason workouts next year.
When Newton was placed on IR in November, he was considering surgery then. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported if Newton has surgery on the foot, he would be out for 8-10 weeks, three months at most. If he has surgery soon, he would be ready for the offseason workouts, which begin in April. When Newton was placed on IR, he sent a message to the fans.
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“Charlotte and (the Panthers) will forever be in my heart. I will work my tail off to be stronger, faster, smarter and (more accurate) for you guys,” Newton wrote on Instagram. “Until then, I will continue to support the hell out of the Panthers and for Kyle Allen and Will Grier.”
Newton was working hard to get back on the field since he only played in two games this season. But general manager Marty Hurney told reporters this was the best move for the team moving forward.
“For the past seven weeks, Cam has diligently followed a program of rest and rehab and still is experiencing pain in his foot,” 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.
“We have said all along that it is impossible to put a timetable on this injury. Nobody is more frustrated with that fact than Cam. He’s one of the fiercest competitors I’ve been around during my 20-plus years in the League. At this time, we have decided that the best decision to reach the goal of bringing the foot back to 100 percent is to place Cam on injured reserve.”
There have been reports Newton could be with another team in 2020 because the team could save $19 million if they cut or trade him. However, with Rivera gone and the team looking for a new head coach, Newton might be what the Panthers need as they head into a new era.
