Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera may take a serious look at shutting down star quarterback Cam Newton for the remainder of the 2018 season.

The Panthers suffered their sixth straight defeat in Monday night's 12-9 loss to the New Orleans Saints, which dropped Carolina to 6-8 on the season.

And while the team is not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention just yet, the likelihood of making the postseason is extremely right now after the huge skid following the 6-2 start.

So, with Newton still dealing with shoulder issues, it makes sense that the coaching staff would monitor his situation moving forward in terms of whether he should play again this season.

Here's what Rivera had to say about Newton's current status, courtesy of Jourdan Rodrigue of The Charlotte Observer:

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Ron Rivera says team will “continue to evaluate” when asked about potential of sitting Cam Newton because of the sore shoulder for the rest of the year.

At this point, there seems to be very little incentive for Newton to step back on the field this year. The shoulder problems have been more than obvious in recent weeks, and with a playoff spot likely out of the reach, letting his injury heal seems like the best approach.

It will be interesting to watch how this unfolds for Newton and the Panthers, as next up on the schedule is a home game against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16.

After that, Carolina will finish up the regular season with a rematch in New Orleans against the Saints.