Cam Newton Injury: Updates on Panthers Star's Foot, Thumb and Recovery

 After the Panthers' blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night, it was revealed that Cam Newton is battling foot, ankle and thumb injuries. The 3-6-1 Panthers are struggling on all fronts of late, and Newton has been no exception.

Continue for Updates.

Sunday, Nov. 16

Newton Active for Week 11

As expected, the Panthers confirmed Sunday morning that Newton is available for Week 11:

"

#Panthers inactives: 25 Benwikere, 26 Ogbonnaya, 38 Lester, 63 Foucault, 66 Silatolu, 74 Remmers, 98 Lotulelei

— Panthers PR Dept. (@PanthersPR) November 16, 2014"

Wednesday, Nov. 12

Cam Newton Speaks About Various Injuries, Poor Play

Steve Reed of the Associated Press provides Cam Newton's comments on his struggles on the field:

David Newton of ESPN and Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports provide Newton's take on how his injuries have impacted his play:

Black & Blue Review has more on how Newton feels physically: 

Tuesday, Nov. 11 

Cam Newton Battles Ankle, Foot and Thumb Injuries

The Carolina Panthers offense goes as Cam Newton goes, which is why the latest news is difficult to deal with for the team and its fans.

After the Panthers' embarrassing 45-21 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports reported not only is Newton continuing to deal with soreness in his left ankle, but is now playing with an injured right foot as well:

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Newton is nursing a right foot injury the Panthers training staff believes might be the result of compensating for the lingering soreness in his left ankle, a source told FOX Sports. The combination of lower-leg issues could explain why Newton has appeared to be sluggish, particularly on Monday night while he was trying to escape Philadelphia Eagles pass rushers during a 45-21 loss for the Panthers. ...

... Newton was limping for much of the game and jogged gingerly to and from the sideline between series. Following one of the Eagles' nine sacks of him, Newton was stretching his groin or hamstring area, so he might have tweaked a muscle in that region as well.

"

The quarterback is also dealing with thumb issues on his throwing hand, according to Garafolo, which has "forced him to wrap it during games."

Ron Rivera addressed Newton's health Tuesday, via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer:

Newton briefly spoke Monday night about getting sacked a team-record nine times, via Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com:

The plethora of injuries are particularly concerning for the Panthers because Newton, 25, has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league throughout his short career. He threw for 3,379 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2013, adding 585 yards and six touchdowns rushing. His strong performance helped lead the Panthers to the postseason, where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.

It was simply business as usual for Newton, who has been extremely impressive since his rookie season as the No. 1 overall pick in 2011. 

In addition to his consistent production, Newton has also been very durable. Prior to 2014, he hadn't missed a regular-season game in his first three years, which is rather remarkable considering his tendency to tuck the ball down and make plays with his legs. That durability was set to be tested this year after he had surgery to repair ligament damage in his left ankle during the offseason. 

That ankle injury raised some concerns during the preseason, as Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports pointed out in August:

He also dealt with a rib ailment that forced him to miss Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

There was even more pressure on Newton than usual this season because it’s not as though the Panthers were lining up Jerry Rice and Calvin Johnson at wide receiver.

In fact, they lost Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn Jr. and Domenik Hixon in the offseason, meaning much of the pass-catching responsibilities fell to Jerricho Cotchery, rookie Kelvin Benjamin and stud tight end Greg Olsen. Elsewhere, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are both proven veterans at running back, but Williams is north of 30 years old and Stewart has been injury-prone throughout his career.

Newton was being asked to put up points without a lot of help on paper.

Stephan Savoia/Associated Press

To his credit, he seemed ready to lead during the offseason when he commented, via David Newton of ESPN.com:

"

I'm the quarterback for the Carolina Panthers/football player. My job is to execute and be the best player I can be for the Carolina Panthers organization, the Carolina Panthers community and represent my name and my team.

I'm trying to get back to the playoffs and do something the Carolina Panthers haven't done in back-to-back years.

"

Carolina is going to need a healthy Newton on the field if it hopes to reach the postseason in a winnable NFC South and get redemption for its loss to the 49ers. Newton did throw for 267 yards in his first career playoff game, but he had two critical interceptions in the contest.

Given Newton's latest injury, the Panthers' chances of making it back to the playoffs are beginning to diminish.