Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen is not ready to move on from Cam Newton. While there has been a lot of talk of Newton possibly being traded once he returns from his foot injury, Olsen said Newton will be a player to watch for with the Panthers. So if it was up to Olsen, Newton will be the Panthers starting QB moving forward.
Don’t bet against Cam,” Olsen said to TMZ this week.
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On Thursday, Olsen was on the FS1 show First Things First and said he wants Newton in back on the field making plays like he was before.
“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. “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.”
Newton suffered the injury during the preseason and he tried to play through the pain the start the regular season. But when the Panthers lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week Two, Allen took over and the Panthers have won their last four games with him under center.
It has been reported that Newton will be back practicing with the team next week as he is getting close to being 100 percent healthy. Head coach Ron Rivera talked about Newton’s injury this week and said they will wait until he gets clearance from the doctors.
“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.”
Newton has been the Panthers’ starting quarterback since 2011 and has put together a strong career. Along with winning Rookie of the Year, the Atlanta native won the MVP award in 2015 and led the Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance the same season.
