Cam Newton has not recovered from a lingering foot injury the way he and the Carolina Panthers had hoped he would, and the former MVP’s 2019 season is now officially over.
The Panthers announced on Tuesday that they have placed Newton on injured reserve, which will make him ineligible to play again during the regular season. That leaves the starting job to former undrafted free agent Kyle Allen, who has led Carolina to a 5-1 record in Newton’s absence.
Newton could, in theory, be activated to return if he is healthy for the playoffs, but it is unlikely that the Panthers would give him the starting job over Allen if Allen leads the team to the postseason
A report last month claimed Newton was recovering well and had a chance to return to the field after the Panthers’ Week 7 bye, but he has still been experiencing discomfort in his foot. He visited with a specialist last week for help in determining why the condition is not improving.
Newton has been dealing with a Lisfranc injury since the preseason, and those have a tendency to linger. With Allen having played well in Newton’s absence, there has been a lot of talk that the Panthers could look to trade their former No. 1 overall pick this offseason. Allen could be auditioning for a future starting job down the stretch in addition to trying to lead Carolina to the playoffs.
