Cam Newton Rumors: Panthers Expect QB to Resume Football Activities in March

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton lived in uncertainty for most of 2019, but his 2020 appears to be taking shape.

According to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue, the Panthers expect Newton to pass his physical and be cleared for some football activity in March after he suffered a Lisfranc injury in his left foot during the 2019 preseason that ultimately required surgery in December.

"But because of the ambiguous and delicate nature of a Lisfranc injury, the team will be careful with his return to full team activities, and, the source said, has discussed limiting him through spring workouts in early April and May," Rodrigue added.

Rodrigue also relayed that Newton "has been present in the team facilities on a weekly basis" while continuing his rehabilitation process.

The 30-year-old started the Panthers' first two regular-season games after injuring his foot in the preseason. He threw for 572 yards, no touchdowns and one interception on a 56.2 completion percentage, and Carolina lost both contests.

Speculation ramped up that the Panthers could move on from an injury-riddled Newton in favor of 23-year-old quarterback Kyle Allen when the team won Allen's first four starts. However, that chatter cooled down as the season wore on. Allen finished with 3,322 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 picks while completing 62.0 percent of his passes across 12 starts.

While appearing on Radio Row in the week leading up to Super Bowl LIV, Newton was confident in his future with the Panthers:

However, Panthers owner David Tepper was not as concrete in his commitment to Newton:

Newly hired head coach Matt Rhule might want to start fresh with his own quarterback. Depending on how Newton's evaluation goes in March, the Panthers can officially begin shopping the 2011 No. 1 overall pick when the new league year begins on March 18. Newton has a $21.1 million cap hit in 2020, per Spotrac, before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2021.

Newton has struggled with injuries dating back to 2017. He played through a shoulder injury in 2018 before undergoing an arthroscopic procedure in January 2019. He also underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder in March 2017.