CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Panthers owner David Tepper is open to Cam Newton staying in Charlotte next season.
Tepper spoke to local media Monday and said that no decision has been made regarding Newton's future or if he'd have surgery, but that, if healthy, he wanted the quarterback to stay in Charlotte and that it would be the best thing for both sides.
Newton was placed on injured reserve two weeks ago with a Lisfranc injury to his left foot. He had not played since the Panthers' Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 12.
Much speculation had been made of whether it made sense to put Newton on IR with there being a potential that he could return this year.
Tepper said Monday that even if Newton could have returned to the field this season, the move wouldn't have made sense. He indicated that if the team was not performing well, he didn't want to have Newton come in to play those games, and that even if the team was on the brink of the playoffs, it wouldn't make sense to change course and go with a different quarterback at that time.
Another question that has been continually brought up about the quarterback situation is whether the Panthers and Newton's camp have been on the same page. Tepper asserted that the decision was made in a way that was beneficial for all parties.
Newton initially injured his foot in August during Carolina's third preseason game against the New England Patriots. But he returned to the field about two weeks later for the season-opener vs. the Los Angeles Rams.
While the future of Ron Rivera and Marty Hurney were not specifically discussed, Tepper did say that Newton's injury would have to be included in any evaluation of the team.
Kyle Allen has gone 5-3 as the starter this season in Newton's place and the Panthers' owner said that he is overall pleased with his production. Newton has addressed the media since he was placed on IR.
Throughout the meeting with reporters, Tepper brought up the fact that a good quarterback is one of the most crucial pieces to having a winning football team and how important that was to him. He even called Newton one of the NFL's best quarterbacks.
