Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday he won't pressure quarterback Cam Newton to return from injury before he's fully ready.
Newton, the former NFL Most Valuable Player, has missed the Panthers' last four games while recovering from a Lisfranc injury in his left foot. Backup Kyle Allen has played in his stead, and the Panthers have gone 4-0 during that time. Allen has yet to throw an interception this season, but the Panthers have been powered the past month by running back Christian McCaffrey and one of the league's best defenses.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday night that Newton's foot is healing well and that he would be able to practice after the team's bye this week. Rivera told reporters he couldn't confirm that.
"No I can't," Rivera said. "The problem with it is, Cam has epitomized what we asked of him of being a captain. He's been there in support of his teammates. He's been around. And when we met _ when we first got together and talked about this _ we told him, 'Hey, we're not going to put pressure on you.'
" ... Until he's 100 percent, until he's ready to roll, we're not going to address it. I mean, he's done everything we've asked. People have been (saying), 'Oh, why hasn't he been around?' He's been around. We just don't want him standing on the sideline for four-and-a-half hours for no reason. And that's the unfair thing about it."
Newton has not practiced since Carolina's Week 2 loss to the Bucs on Sept. 12. He appeared at practice last week before the Panthers departed for London on Wednesday evening, but has yet to participate.
Asked if Newton needed to be 100% to play or just to practice, Rivera said that's another decision the team will make in the future.
"Until I get word from our people, from our doctors specifically and trainers, I think the thing we need to do is stay focused on the here and now," Rivera said. "As I said, I'm not putting that kind of pressure (on him). I'm not sure why people want to put pressure on a guy and get him out there before he's ready to play."
