Cam Newton is headed to Green Bay.
Not to play football, but to see a foot specialist.
The Carolina Panthers quarterback is visiting specialist Dr. Robert Anderson to get a check-up on his sprained foot, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport confirmed Friday. ESPN's Josina Anderson first reported the trip.
Rapoport added that Newton is visiting Dr. Anderson to learn why his condition isn't improving, per a source informed of the situation, and that hitting the playing field appears a long way off.
The team confirmed Friday that Newton made the trip to see Dr. Anderson, who previously served as a team physician for the Panthers.
"I spent a long time speaking with Cam this week and he's done everything he possibly can in his rehab process to get his foot to 100 percent," general manager Marty Hurney said. "Unfortunately, we haven't reached that point. The next step is for him to go see Dr. Anderson and gather more information."
Newton injured his foot during preseason action. After battling through the first two games, looking clearly hindered, the Panthers shut down the QB since Week 2. The signal-caller hasn't done more than rehab on the side during practice thus far.
Kyle Allen led the Panthers to four straight wins, giving Carolina comfort to allow Newton to rehab in peace. After last week's drumming in San Francisco during which Allen struggled, however, questions were raised about whether getting Newton back soon could help keep the Panthers in the playoff race.
When he was dealing with a shoulder injury, Newton originally eschewed surgery to try to rehab through the issue. Ultimately, he ended up needing the operation. With his foot injury this year, Newton again has attempted to rehab instead of getting surgery. While Friday's visit doesn't mean a procedure is on the horizon, it could be an option depending on what Dr. Anderson sees.
The outcome of the visit to Green Bay could give us a clearer timeline of when Newton could return this season -- if he can at all.
