The Carolina Panthers got franchise quarterback Cam Newton on to the field for the first time this preseason Thursday evening against the New England Patriots.
It did not go swimmingly. The former MVP was under duress throughout the entire first quarter, finding himself sacked twice on just eight drop backs.
Unfortunately, the last sack ended Newton’s night prematurely. He exited the game favoring his leg/ankle area.
Here’s the play in question.
Newton headed to the locker room and was almost immediately ruled out for the remainder of the game by the Panthers.
This is alarming news. Newton had missed pretty much the entire off-season program after undergoing shoulder surgery.
The Panthers’ inability to protect their franchise quarterback has been a major issue over the past several years. That’s obviously not going to change any time soon.
We’ll have further updates on Newton’s status moving forward. For now, the Panthers can’t be happy.