The Carolina Panthers have continued to see their playoff chances diminish over the last month with four consecutive losses that have put them on the outside looking in at the Wild Card picture.
What has become a pressing topic over these struggles on the field has been star quarterback Cam Newton's issues with his health as he's dealing with some nagging shoulder issues. Newton addressed the situation on Wednesday, stating it is something that he has to learn to play through. (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk)
“I’m healthy enough to play and I’m not going to let nothing hold me back. … You have to learn how to manage pain,” Newton said, via Max Henson of the team’s website.
This has been a persistent problem for him throughout the season, as he used the week leading up to each game to rest his shoulder in order to help him play. However, it has become more evident that he has been limited with his throws as it was evident by his Hail Mary attempt in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter in the 24-17 loss to the Tampa Buccaneers, as he was unable to throw the ball down the field near the end zone.
Newton has established that he has one of the strongest arms in the league to make any deep throw, but his inability to make that throw effectively was alarming. At the same time, this hasn't pushed him to miss any games while dealing with the injury, as it's something that he believes he can work through.
This will be put to the test on Sunday afternoon with a primetime matchup. The final four games of the season include a pair of matchups against the New Orleans Saints. Newton's play will be an indicative factor on how their playoff hopes unfold.
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