There's been a lot of talk this week about Cam Newton's future
Despite all the questions about his health, there are certain things we know.
Newton had "successful" surgery Monday on his left foot for a Lisfranc injury that he suffered against the New England Patriots during the Panthers' third preseason game.
"Everything looked good from that standpoint," interim head coach Perry Fewell said.
Newton is currently resting in Atlanta, his hometown.
He will now start the recovery process, which from this type of surgery, can take anywhere from 6-8 weeks or longer depending on the injury as detailed by Dr. Robert Anderson, the Panthers former assistant team physician and renowned foot specialist, for NFL.com. The procedure was performed in New York by Dr. Martin O'Malley, according to multiple reports, who has done surgery on numerous high profile athletes, including foot surgeries on NBA stars Kevin Durant and Kevin Love.
With Newton now having had surgery, the Panthers will have a clearer timetable for getting answers on the quarterback's health prior to the time that significant offseason decisions need to be made, including April's NFL draft. The team has gone 5-6 in his absence and his shoulder injury last year played a significant role in the team losing seven straight games after a 6-2 start.
The 30-year old has missed more games this season than in his previous eight years combined (five games previously). He has one year remaining on his contract and will count for about $21 million against the 2020 salary cap.
There has been a lot of recent speculation about Newton's future in Carolina, and whether or not the Panthers will try to trade him. But the overall biggest question will always be the quarterback's health
During former coach Ron Rivera's final press conference, he said he hopes Newton gets out of the rut of rehabbing and dealing with injuries.
"His return to health without a doubt, I think that's the most important thing for the young man," Rivera said. "You know the frustration is, and we all saw it with Andrew Luck, was always being hurt, always rehabbing."
Panthers owner David Tepper has spoken on Newton's health as well, saying last week "hopefully Cam's healthy, I frankly don't know and neither does Cam." Tepper has said in an ideal world Newton is able to get healthy and on the team next year.
How he recovers from the surgery will go a long way in determining the Panthers' next step with their franchise quarterback.
