Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers Dodge a Huge Bullet
The startling news that Carolina Panthers‘ quarterback Cam Newton was in a serious auto accident on Tuesday afternoon, made every Panthers’ fan hold their breath.
After digesting more of the story and the reports that Newton fractured two vertebrae in his back, I think we all realize that this could have been much worse. Not to belittle Newton’s injury, but he could have been hurt so much worse after his vehicle flipped over multiple times.
Newton is being kept overnight for observation, and the Panthers are holding off until Wednesday to make public his condition, as it relates to the team.
Considering that the accident occurred on a road that is on the precipice of an overpass that crosses a major highway in Uptown Charlotte, Newton could have left the accident with a plethora of different injuries.
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Newton’s injury is painful and affects the back, which is an area of the body that nobody wants to start inspecting and rehabilitating. If the early reports are correct and Newton’s injury is only two transverse process fractures of his back, then Carolina avoided a catastrophic injury.
He did not suffer a concussion or head trauma, and there is no kind of internal bleeding.
His injuries could cloud the Panthers’ final three games, but football needs to be on the back burner as Newton heals. After the season that he’s endured, he deserves an opportunity to rest his body.
2014 has been an injury-riddled season for Newton, and this is yet another blow to his already frustrating season. If Newton’s injury is too serious to allow him on the field, then he needs to rest.
As we have seen throughout the early part of the season, Cam at less than 100% has not led to positive results for the Panthers.
There’s no point in risking a player’s long-term health for three games. If he is truly not up to playing, then he needs to let Derek Anderson play. Anderson filled in nicely back in September, and already knows this week’s opponent, Tampa Bay.