It remains highly unlikely that Panthers quarterback Cam Newton plays in Week 8 when the team returns from the bye, as originally reported last week, and sources said an absence of another week beyond that is possible as well.

The Panthers, 4-0 under backup Kyle Allen, are in lockstep with Newton that he should take as much time as possible to ensure his foot sprain is 100 percent healed when he does return. There is a sense that recovery will require multiple weeks more of rehab, practice and increased conditioning given how much time the former MVP has missed and how little physical activity he has been permitted to undertake during his absence.

It's virtually certain that Allen will start against the 49ers in Week 8, with Newton just set to return to the field this week following the team's trip to London and bye week. Once Newton is healthy, it is not an absolutely certainty he returns as the starter, I'm told. The Panthers, as a practical matter, have yet to even begin to discuss the scenario at quarterback, sources said, with Allen still the starter and Newton not cleared to return to a game, and they don't intend to address the situation until that time.

But there have been no public -- or private -- declarations about the situation yet, which is being read around the league as leaving the door open for Allen to continue as starter. The second-year quarterback has executed the offense well, consistently pushing the ball down the field, and Allen has to yet to lose a game in five starts dating back to last season. Newton, on the other hand, has struggled while dealing with injuries dating back to the shoulder issue he suffered in the middle of last season.

Newton has one year left on his deal, a contract signed well before David Tepper purchased the team, which has always led to the 2020 offseason being a key one for the quarterback and this franchise as ownership faces a decision whether to pursue a mega-deal with him or go in a different direction. Of course, Tepper has also not been able to see much of what a healthy Newton can do, aside from a nice stretch to open last season, and few players in the league possess the unique attributes of this dual-threat quarterback.

A short-term decision on a starting quarterback looms at the end of the month, with Allen's play and the team's success with him under center creating the possibility he retains the job.