The Carolina Panthers have put quarterback Cam Newton on the injured reserve list, a move that means he'll miss the rest of the season. General Manager Marty Hurney announced the move Tuesday after foot specialists said it "likely will take significant time" for Newton's injured foot to fully heal.
The announcement means backup Kyle Allen will remain in the starting role. Since he took over for Newton in the third week of the season, the Panthers have won five games and lost one.
Newton, 30, was hurt in the pre-season with what's called a Lisfranc injury, a fracture of bones in the foot. He played in two games in 2019, losing both. Newton completed 50 of 89 passes for 572 yards and no touchdown passes with one interception.
“For the past seven weeks, Cam has diligently followed a program of rest and rehab and still is experiencing pain in his foot,” Hurney said in a press release. “He saw two foot specialists last week who agreed that he should continue that path prescribed by the team’s medical staff, and that it likely will take significant time for the injury to fully heal.
“We have said all along that it is impossible to put a timetable on this injury," Hurney said. "Nobody is more frustrated with that fact than Cam. He’s one of the fiercest competitors I’ve been around during my 20-plus years in the League. At this time, we have decided that the best decision to reach the goal of bringing the foot back to 100 percent is to place Cam on injured reserve.”
Newton has been with the Panthers his entire career. He led the team to the Super Bowl in 2015, when he also was the league's Most Valuable Player.
Overall, the Panthers are 5-3 this season, and in second place in the NFL South.
