I’ve always really enjoyed Cam Newton. Since his days at Auburn, he’s one of the most physically talented athletes I’ve ever seen.
Now, his 2019 season is over after just two games due to a foot injury. This news was reported on Tuesday afternoon by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
Decision made: The #Panthers have placed QB Cam Newton on Injured Reserve. His season is over. Background from Sunday: https://t.co/adCItCRdaV
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 5, 2019
Panthers’ general manager Marty Hurney issued a statement on the player he drafted no. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL draft.
“For the past seven weeks, Cam has diligently followed a program of rest and rehab and still is experiencing pain in his foot,” general manager Marty Hurney said in a statement. “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. Nobody is more frustrated with that fact than Cam.”
Prior to this stretch of missed games, Newton has missed only three starts in his NFL career. Now, it’s possible that the Panthers may decide to part ways with the face of the franchise. For instance, look at this new bet being offered on SportsLine:
Has Cam Newton played his final game as a member of the Carolina Panthers?
Yes -130
No +110
Via @SportsLine Oddsmakers pic.twitter.com/23F60OBDm2
— SportsLine (@SportsLine) November 5, 2019
It’s hard to believe – but the odds appear more likely that Newton is finished as a Carolina Panther. The reason for this has been recently reported upon in various areas. The former Heisman Trophy Winner has one year left on his current contract. He is scheduled to count $21.1 million against the 2020 salary cap for Carolina. Should the team decide to move on from him after this season, it would clear $19.1 million in cap space.
Therefore, this may be the end of the Cam Newton era. He won an MVP award, and took the team to a Super Bowl in a losing effort; but ultimately another guy who like Andrew Luck, doesn’t exactly have the resume you pictured when he was a rookie or in his second or third year.
