Cam Newton's time as Carolina's franchise quarterback could be coming to a close.
Although neither the Panthers nor Newton wants to address the elephant in the room, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport believes that it is "highly unlikely" that Cam will be in Carolina next season. This comes after sources revealed that the quarterback is considering having surgery on his foot in the upcoming weeks. After taking the necessary time to recover, Cam wants to continue playing in 2020, but there are several reasons why the Panthers are leery about moving forward with Newton.
This biggest issue is Newton's lengthy list of past injuries. Cam has been sidelined in previous seasons and the Lisfranc injury that he's nursing could change his style of play.
The Panthers also owes Cam $18.6 million and a $2 million option bonus in 2020. Because of his list of injuries, the Panthers would probably feel more comfortable trading the rest of his contract to another team.
The Panthers are doing just fine with Kyle Allen as their NFL starter and running back Christian McCaffrey putting in work. Allen's contract situation is also more complicated than Newton's: He was technically cut from his rookie deal, making him eligible for an extension at any point. If the Panthers believe in Allen, then they would have to move Newton to somehow work out a deal that solidifies him as their new franchise quarterback during the offseason.
