Panthers' Will Grier out vs. Saints with Foot Injury; Kyle Allen Replaces

Carolina Panthers quarterback Will Grier suffered a foot injury in Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints and will not return, the team announced.

Grier started the game 1-of-8 for four yards and an interception. His absence forces Kyle Allen to once again lead the Panthers offense.

Grier was making his second start after Carolina benched Allen for what proved to be a 38-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16.

Allen has been the No. 1 option for the bulk of the season as Cam Newton battled a foot injury that eventually landed him on injured reserve in November.

Newton's future with the Panthers has been a storyline throughout the year. He's signed through 2020 and the team would save $19.1 million while absorbing $2 million in dead money by trading him to another team in the offseason.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Dec. 8 that the general belief is that Carolina will look to deal Newton as long as teams are willing to meet its asking price.

"They won't give him away, but with Kyle Allen showing potential and Will Grier possessing traits that led the Panthers to grade him better than the third-rounder he was, they have options," Rapoport wrote.

Allen had thrown for 3,027 yards, 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions and completed 62.1 percent of his passes entering Week 17. Grier, meanwhile, struggled in what was an admittedly small sample:

Grier's exit Sunday presumably won't impact the front office's decision-making. 

But it does symbolize a 2019 campaign in which injuries and poor performance provided more questions than answers at quarterback for the Panthers.