In what is likely the worst outcome for the Carolina Panthers from a contest that doesn’t matter, Cam Newton left their preseason Week 3 game against the New England Patriots after only 11 plays as he suffered an injury to his left foot on a play where he was sacked by Patriots defensive tackle Adam Butler.
Newton, who hadn’t played in Week 1 or 2 of the preseason and was only expected to play “three or four” possessions tonight, was injured on the Panthers third possession of the game as he tried to avoid rushers on 3rd-and-10; Butler pulled Newton down by the lower left leg for an eight-yard loss and the second sack of the night for the Patriots. Newton appeared to wince and test the leg before jogging with a limp to the sidelines, where he was met by head trainer Ryan Vermillion and team physician Dr. Pat Connor.
And now Cam Newton’s left foot is being evaluated on the sideline.
He already been sacked twice.pic.twitter.com/OuV9iXVlyN
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 23, 2019
Connor and Vermillion examined Newton on the bench before taking the Panthers franchise quarterback to the trainers table – Newton then sat on the bench for a moment before walking to the locker room with medical staff. Shortly thereafter, Newton was announced by the team to be out for the rest of the game with a foot injury.
This was Newton’s first action since undergoing a procedure on his throwing shoulder after the 2018 season ended – Newton suffered a hairline fracture of his ribs in 2014 the last time the Panthers played a preseason game in Foxborough when he was sacked by Jamie Collins. Newton sat out Week 1 of the season in 2014, one of only six games the Panthers QB has missed in his career.
Newton finished the game 4-of-6 for 30 yards.
UPDATE: Sources are reporting that Newton’s x-rays came back clean and the initial diagnosis is a sprain. More tests will be done tomorrow in Charlotte.
