A healthy Cam Newton starting at quarterback remains the Panthers’ best chance of winning football games. It’s time to consider the distinct possibility that they won’t have a healthy Newton this season, though.
ESPN’s report this morning that Newton is seeing a foot specialist in Green Bay is an ominous development in his recovery. NFL Network followed up with a report that said Newton’s foot injury is not improving and that football is still a long way off for No. 1.
Surgery is usually the choice that athletes make when they suffer a Lisfranc injury. If Newton decides to get a procedure done, it would mean that he won’t play again in 2019. Even if he doesn’t, coach Ron Rivera’s comments in his Thursday press conference indicate Newton is still a long way from returning. Rivera said Cam is still “in the middle” of his rehab.
That means at best they won’t get Newton back until late in the regular season. If so, there’s not much point in getting him back out there at all. Newton still has one year left on his contract and if he’s able to get right in 2020 his cap hit would make him a great bargain. That’s a thought for another day, though.
For now, the Panthers have to decide what to do at quarterback for the rest of the year if Newton is indeed done.
Here are four paths they might choose to take.
Will Grier // Taylor Heinicke // Kyle Allen // Colin Kaepernick
Give Will Grier a chance
The Panthers used a third-round pick on Grier and got excellent grades from the media for it.
Unfortunately, Grier bombed during the preseason, throwing several ghastly interceptions and showing little to no poise in the pocket. Grier has had several months to practice and improve since then, though. If his processing speed has picked up and the game has slowed down for him, Grier should look much better the next time he’s on the field.
Grier may have more potential than Kyle Allen and at some point he deserves a chance to show what he can do against live competition.
Will Grier // Taylor Heinicke // Kyle Allen // Colin Kaepernick
Bring back Taylor Heinicke
The odd man out for Carolina’s quarterbacks room this year was Heinicke, who performed far better than either Grier or Allen during the preseason. To be fair, he was mostly facing backups and third-stringers. However, Heinicke looked dynamic and confident when he was given opportunities.
He’s since visited with a number of teams – most recently the Titans – but hasn’t signed anywhere. If nothing else, Heinicke has valuable recent experience running Norv Turner’s offense, which is something that no other current free agent QB can claim.
Will Grier // Taylor Heinicke // Kyle Allen // Colin Kaepernick
Stick with Kyle Allen
Continuity counts for something, though and the Panthers might be better off just sticking with Allen for the rest of the season. Allen can improve in several areas (reads and accuracy among them) and the more familiarity he gets running the offense, the more likely that is to happen.
His numbers are misleading but he has shown flashes, like when he threw four touchdowns against the Cardinals in his first start. Whether it’s right or not, sticking with Allen is a “safe” middle-ground kind of move, so it’s probably what Ron Rivera will wind up doing.
Will Grier // Taylor Heinicke // Kyle Allen // Colin Kaepernick
Sign the best available free agent
If the Panthers are going to make a playoff run this year though, they need a more dynamic quarterback than Allen, Grier or Heinicke. Contending in the NFL requires bold moves and nothing would be bolder than going out and signing Kaepernick, who remains the top free agent QB on the market.
Kaepernick hasn’t played in three seasons, so some rust would be natural. He’s also been known to miss reads and throw interceptions on occasion. Every QB has flaws, though and Kaepernick’s arm strength, mobility and playoff experience make him uniquely qualified to upgrade this team’s offense. When Kaepernick has had a competent offensive coordinator to work with (namely Greg Roman) he’s been an above-average starter and capable at least of leading a team with an elite defense deep into the postseason.
Jerry Richardson never would have signed off but David Tepper is running things differently, as he proved by bringing in Eric Reid. Tepper made his fortune off investing in distressed assets, after all. What could be more fitting than signing one of the most distressed assets in NFL history?
