The Carolina Panthers have made the decision to shut down star quarterback Cam Newton for the rest of the season due to a nagging shoulder injury.

This is something that has been lingering for the last few weeks that had heavily impacted his ability to throw the ball down the field effectively. In fact, this is something that wide receiver Jarius Wright acknowledged that opposing defenders had told him throughout the last several weeks, according to Marcel Louis-Jacques of the Charlotte Observer.

“It keeps guys on their toes now,” Wright said. “It’s funny because some of the (opposing defensive backs) actually tell us on the field, ‘We’re not scared of y’all going deep. Cam won’t.’ They’ve actually mentioned that multiple times.

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It shouldn't come as much of a surprise as it had become glaringly obvious that Newton was dealing with some sort of short issue as the season wore on. On top of that, the 29-year-old had repeatedly voiced that he has had to manage through the injury, which included him having to manage through the pain that was created by the injury over the last few weeks.

There were also clear signs that he was dealing with some sort of limitations as he had severely underthrown a ball back that led to him being taken out of the game with backup Taylor Heinicke being inserted into the game for that type of throw. In fact, this has been the case three times this season that has only emphasized that his shoulder is far from being 100 percent.

Throughout his career, Newton has developed the reputation for having one of the strongest arms in the NFL, which make this situation more concerning for the Panthers. Ultimately, it is something that should receive clarity in the offseason when his shoulder is examined more closely.