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Coach Ron Rivera hasn't ruled out Newton sitting the final two games of the season due to a lingering injury to his right throwing shoulder, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports. "It's a tough situation right now," Rivera said Tuesday. "Until I get a chance to visit with him I'm not going to speculate."
The stats don't lie during the Panthers' current six-game losing streak. After throwing picks in just three out of the first eight contests of the season, he's tossed at least one interception in each of the six recent defeats. Perhaps more striking is accounting for his fewest passing yards (131 on Monday) since Week 4 of the 2015 season and lowest yards per attempt (4.5) in 123 career appearances. After the Week 15 loss to the Saints, Newton relayed that he's undergone certain treatments, including taking anti-inflammatories, receiving massages, and attempting acupuncture. Moreover, his practice reps have been capped to keep his right shoulder as fresh as possible. This latter point may be the reason his rapport with Panthers pass catchers diminished enough to account for Monday's dismal performance. Whether this proves to be the nadir remains to be seen, but the Panthers may opt to shut down Newton sooner than later with his long-term health in mind. Currently, Taylor Heinicke is the only other quarterback on the 53-man roster, while undrafted rookie Kyle Allen is on the practice squad.
