When Cam Newton biked in for practice last week – cackling gleefully as he passed media members – anyone might have guessed that he was doing quite well in his recovery. And it would have been a very good guess, based on information that has come to light as the Carolina Panthers enter their bye week.
Monday evening, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Newton’s Lisfranc injury has “healed well” and that he is expected to be ready to return to practice following Week 7’s bye. Newton publicly arrived at practice for the first time since Week 2 in the leadup to the Panthers’ trip to London last week, but was a non-participant.
Addressing the media before the Panthers dispersed for the bye week, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera stated that he could not confirm Schefter’s report. However, he commended how Newton has handled the matter since aggravating his foot in Week 2, while also letting on how the Panthers are handling his recovery around him.
“Cam has epitomized what we asked of him of being a captain – he’s been there and supportive of his teammates. He’s been around,” said Rivera. “When we first got together and talked about this, we told him ‘Hey, we’re not gonna put pressure on you. We’re gonna hold tight, we’ll hold the fort down, our guys will play.’ So until he’s 100%, until he’s ready to roll, we’re not gonna address it.”
“He’s done everything we’ve asked.”
Throughout Newton’s absence from the field, the outside noise surrounding the 2015 MVP of the National Football League has intensified as the Panthers have won four consecutive games with Kyle Allen at the helm. Part of that noise has included those who have taken issue with Newton not being present on the sidelines come game day – a narrative that frustrates the only head coach Newton has had in the NFL.
“People have been [saying] ‘Oh, well how come he’s not been around?’ He’s been around. We just don’t want him standing around on the sideline for four and a half hours for no reason. That’s the unfair thing about it,” said Rivera. “We didn’t want to take him on an eight-and-a-half, nine hour flight. I think people need to understand that the young man’s done everything we’ve asked. I’m trying to stay true to what I told him – I’m not going to put that kind of pressure on.”
“Until we have it confirmed with our doctors, we’re going to continue to do what we’re doing. … I’m not sure why people want to put pressure on a guy and get him out there before he’s ready to play.”
As much as public pressure on Newton is mounting – through talk of when he will return or if he will even get the chance to return at all – the Panthers also know full well that Newton will put pressure on himself to return. Carolina has already felt the consequences of that, losing their first two games in part because of Newton rushing himself back from his injury suffered in the preseason. And self-imposed pressure is part of the reason why Rivera and his staff made their pledge to their quarterback.
“That’s why when we sat down and I talked to him, I said ‘Cam, when it’s time – and you’re really the only one who knows it,’” said Rivera. “So we’ll go from there.”
As they stand after six games, time – however much Newton needs before he is ready to return – is a luxury for Carolina.
Since hitting the low point of 0-2 and Newton admitting he was not healthy, the Panthers have surged to four straight victories through a total team effort. While backup quarterback Kyle Allen has won many of the headlines thanks to his performance in relief of Newton, Carolina’s current win streak has been greatly aided by MVP-caliber performances by Christian McCaffrey as well as the defense re-establishing itself among the NFL’s best through a relentless pass rush and a proclivity to take the ball away.
After 262 total yards and two scores in the first two weeks, McCaffrey has exploded for 661 and seven scores in the four games as the offense has leaned heavily on the third-year running back in Newton’s absence. The defense, which produced four sacks and one turnover in the first two games of the season, has vaulted near the top of the NFL in both categories with 23 sacks and 14 takeaways during the four-game win streak.
So while the answer to the question of when Newton will return may be unclear from a scheduling standpoint, it is clear that the team will wait until Newton is ready – a luxury that their play over the past four weeks has afforded them.
Why there is a debate over a healthy Cam vs Kyle Allen is a mystery to me. Yes, we have won some games with KA at the helm, but I submit that, as is often the case, the entire team has ratcheted up its intensity level to offset the “lack” of Cam in the lineup. Now, as long as we are winning with KA, it would be foolish to replace him. As much as I hope this doesn’t happen, KA will surely play awful and we will lose because of it at some point. That’s when you insert a “healthy” Cam. In reality, his upside greatly outweighs what KA has to offer, and affords us a much better opportunity to make a deep playoff run.