Cam Newton wants to be back with his team as soon as possible, but it looks like he will have to wait a little longer. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Carolina Panthers quarterback will likely miss additional games because of the foot injury he suffered during the preseason. There were reports of Newton practicing with the team this week and possibly playing on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But it looks like that won’t happen and he could miss more games after this week.
“The Panthers, 4-0 under backup Kyle Allen, are in lockstep with Newton that he should take as much time as possible to ensure his foot sprain is 100 percent healed when he does return. There is a sense that recovery will require multiple weeks more of rehab, practice and increased conditioning given how much time the former MVP has missed and how little physical activity he has been permitted to undertake during his absence,” La Canfora wrote.
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Because the Panthers are winning without Newton, there is no rush to bring him back. But teammate Greg Olsen can’t wait to see the former NFL MVP back on the field.
“Kyle (Allen) is doing a great job. That decision will be made once Cam is back and once he’s back at practice and feels like himself,” Olsen said on the FS1 show First Things First. “Because at the end of the day, we want Cam. We don’t just want Cam battling through 100 things. We want Cam healthy, on the field so he can play.”
Last week, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera was asked about Newton’s status and he isn’t going to make a decision until Newton is 100 percent healthy.
“The problem with it is, Cam has epitomized what we’ve asked of him being a captain. He’s been there in support of his teammates, he’s been around,” Rivera said via the team’s official website. “When we met, when we first got together and talked about this, we told him, ‘Hey, we’re not going to put pressure on you. We’re going to hold tight, hold the fort down, and our guys will play.’ So, until he’s 100 percent, until he’s ready to roll, we’re not going to address it.”
There have been reports of Newton possibly being traded because of Allen’s play. But with Oct. 29 being the trade deadline, it’s likely Newton will be a member of the Panthers going forward.
