Cam Newton injury puts personal and Carolina Panthers future in jeopardy

The Carolina Panthers and Cam Newton appear to be facing a worst-case scenario.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton hasn’t missed too many games during his tenure as the franchise quarterback over the past eight-plus seasons. He’s a former No. 1 overall pick, has been to a Super Bowl, holds countless NFL and team records, in addition to winning the league MVP Award following an impressive 2015 season.

Despite the accolades, a current eight game losing streak (as the starter) and recent shoulder issues culminated with a foot injury suffered during the preseason. In his first live action since Week 15 last year, Newton took his first snaps against the New England Patriots during preseason game number three. His night ended early after suffering two sacks and being forced to throw the football away once on just six pass attempts. The final sack saw Newton hobble to the sidelines and then head into the locker room for further evaluation – he did not return.

It was then speculation that a Lisfranc injury would be a potential worst-case scenario and although Newton started the regular season, he aggravated the foot against Tampa Bay and now, “there really is no timetable” for a return according to coach Ron Rivera.

Until then, Carolina turns to backup Kyle Allen for the foreseeable future, but long-term there could be more significant impacts for both Newton and the Panthers franchise. There’s no question Newton’s ability to move the football with his legs revolutionized the quarterback position. Bringing option plays to the forefront in the NFL, Newton laid the groundwork for a shift in offensive philosophy around the league. Given time to rest and properly heal, Newton has earned every right to return as the starter, once healthy, but how the team performs in the meantime will make a difference.

Under contract through the 2020 season, if the Panthers are eliminated from playoff contention once Newton is healthy, he could simply sit out the remainder of 2019 in preparation for what would hopefully be a successful contract year, earning him an extension with the success Panthers fans have grown accustomed to during his time under center.

Perhaps the bigger issue will be if Allen continues to play well and the Panthers keep winning football games. In the final year of his contract, it would benefit Carolina to keep Allen around but solid quarterback play is a commodity in the NFL and it’s likely he will be offered opportunities elsewhere, in addition to a significant pay increase.

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A seismic shift would be probable should Newton not fully recover. With one-year remaining, if he can’t return at 100-percent then new owner David Tepper may lay his own ground work for shaping the Panthers football operations. Inheriting and maintaining many of those responsible for the roster and on-field production, Tepper has spent a majority of his time on the business side of things.

Losing a star quarterback and the face of his franchise, Tepper could clean house and start fresh in 2020 with his own coach, general manager and quarterback. Of course, how the 2019 season pans out will have a lot of influence on any such decision.

Last year Carolina was 6-2 and poised for a return to the playoffs before losing seven straight. A lesson in each week being different and with only three games played, there’s still plenty of football left – time for Newton to heal and an opportunity to salvage this season.

Given the broad range of potential outcomes, planning for each scenario is impossible but taking it one week at a time is best – for Newton and the franchise.