Anybody who has been watching the Carolina Panthers over the past few weeks can probably tell that something has not been right with Cam Newton. The Panthers QB has been dealing with some shoulder issues, and it's clear they've been affecting his performance on the field. 

During Carolina's 6-2 start to the season, Newton completed 67.3 percent of his passes, averaged 7.2 yards per attempts, threw 15 touchdowns against four interceptions, and had a 100.8 passer rating. During Carolina's six-game losing streak (the latter few games of which Newton has been dealing with the injury), he's thrown nine touchdowns and nine interceptions while consistently coming up short on throws he typically makes, posting an 85.9 passer rating. 

So perhaps this report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport should not be surprising. After Newton sat out Wednesday's practice with the shoulder issue, Rapoport reported that Newton is expected to sit both Week 16 and Week 17, with the Panthers starting backup Taylor Heinicke in his place. 

The Panthers previously removed Newton from a game to have Heinicke attempt a Hail Mary pass, a surprising decision considering Newton's best attribute as a passer is his arm strength. But that tells you how much his shoulder injury has been bothering him, and what he's been playing through over the past several weeks. 

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With the Panthers essentially eliminated from playoff contention (they do , it makes sense for Newton to sit out these next two weeks so as to not risk further injury. Newton acknowledged the severity of the injury on Tuesday, noting that ice, anti-inflammatories, massages, and acupuncture have not helped. It's not yet known whether or not Newton needs surgery, but given the way the injury has been talked about and how it has affected his play, it would not be surprising if he did.