Panthers' Cam Newton Reportedly to Undergo Surgery for Foot Injury
December 4, 2019
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton's injured foot will reportedly require surgery.
Per NFL Network's Tiffany Blackmon, Newton is planning to have a procedure to repair the Lisfranc injury that landed him on injured reserve.
His season officially ended Nov. 5 when Carolina placed him on injured reserve.
General manager Marty Hurney told reporters the Panthers made the decision to shut Newton down because of lingering pain in his foot:
“For the past seven weeks, Cam has diligently followed a program of rest and rehab and still is experiencing pain in his foot. 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."
Five days later, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Newton was considering surgery that would require eight to 10 weeks of recovery time.
Depending on the date Newton has surgery and how the rehab process goes, he could be back to 100 percent by February. The timetable is important given the uncertainty around his future in Carolina.
Newton has an $18.6 million base salary next season, but his dead-cap number of $2 million would allow the Panthers to move on, either by trading or releasing him, if they have concerns about his ability to stay healthy.
Shoulder problems that required surgery caused Newton to miss the final two games in 2018. The three-time Pro Bowler appeared in two games this season, completing 56.2 percent of his passes for 572 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
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