Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton confirmed his Lisfranc diagnosis in a vlog posted on Friday afternoon. In doing so, revealing that he sprained his mid-left foot in the third preseason game of 2019. He added that it is a “mild” case; for now, surgery isn't an option.
Newton mentioned that he focused solely on his surgically repaired shoulder in the offseason, going as far as changing his release. Then, the injury struck.
“It happened — the unthinkable, so to speak,” Newton said in the post, via Brendan Marks of the Charlotte Observer. “Something else got hurt.”
Newton claimed he immediately knew something was off in his left foot. However, being the entertainer he is, he focused on ignoring it to eventually play the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 — which he ultimately did.
In hindsight, ignoring the injury wasn't the right approach for Newton.
“This is where I got in my own way. Because I thought automatically, I’ve gotta play Week 1. I can’t let my fans down.”
This was all despite not being able to do his pre-game routine of jogging, as he said.
By Week 2 of the season, Newton did the right thing; not play. He wasn't the same in losses to the Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kyle Allen, an undrafted prospect in 2018, became the starter.
Newton admits that playing wasn't the right thing for his health.
“I needed to see that me at 80 percent was not OK,” Newton said. “I realize it’s okay to take time.”
“If I’m able to get the time off for me to heal and get back to 100 percent. Then I have no doubt in my mind everything that we want as a team can still be accomplished.”
“I’ve just gotta get right,” as Newton said.
Until then, he'll continue to support his teammates and Allen, who threw four touchdowns in a win over the Arizona Cardinals.
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