Cam Newton of Carolina Panthers says he hid extent of foot injury, won’t rush back now – ESPN

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said in a video weblog released Friday that he was hiding honest how critical his left foot sprain was hurting sooner than the season and that he would maybe perchance well also no longer return to the self-discipline till it’s 100% healed.

Newton, who appeared in the video smoking a cigar and drinking a glass of wine, confirmed he suffered a quiet Lisfranc sprain in the third preseason game against the New England Patriots and aggravated it in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.

The Panthers beget known as the shatter a midfoot sprain, which technically is a Lisfranc sprain.

Newton, who will poke over his 2d consecutive game Sunday when the Panthers (1-2) talk about with the Houston Texans (2-1), did no longer attach a timetable on his return.

“I’ve determined I will buy time a long way flung from the game,” Newton, 30, said in his first public feedback since reinjuring the foot. “Right here’s me being the bigger particular person and being accurate with myself and announcing, ‘Gaze, what’s the final aim you may well presumably neatly be making an strive to originate? Rep the Massive Bowl. OK, even as you happen to would take to amass the Massive Bowl, this is the step you may well perchance additionally beget obtained to buy.’

“It would maybe perchance well thoroughly be per week. Or two weeks. It’d be three weeks, it’s going to be four weeks, it’s going to be six weeks. But I beget to maintain and know if it takes that time I belief on this personnel that they’ll — we’ll have the chance to — aloof be in a colossal scenario by the level I procure lend a hand.”

Newton admitted he doubtlessly must beget stepped aside sooner than the opener, a 30-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, to give the shatter longer to heal.

“Right here’s after I obtained in my beget diagram,” Newton said. “As a consequence of, automatically, I opinion, ‘I’ve obtained to play Week 1. I cannot let my followers down. I’ve obtained to be there for my personnel.'”

Newton said he realized right by his pregame ritual, a trudge across the stadium, before the season opener that he would maybe perchance well now not urge.

The 2015 NFL MVP has rushed for more yards (4,806) than any quarterback since entering the league in 2011, and ranks third in NFL history on the lend a hand of Michael Vick and Randall Cunningham in dashing yards by a QB. But he rushed honest thrice for a profession-low minus-2 yards against the Rams. And in Week 2, he had two carries for 0 yards against Tampa Bay, slipping and falling rapid on a fourth-and-1 carry.

“I used to be hiding an shatter the keep I would maybe perchance beget with out difficulty said, ‘You admire what Coach, I don’t think I’m ready. Presumably I need to procure of buy into account sitting this one out for the betterment [of the team],'” Newton said.

The quarterback said Carolina coaches requested if he was all honest sooner than the game, and he said yes.

“With that Superman title, label, I’m, ‘Nah, Coach, I’m honest. Let me play,”’ said Newton, identified for his “Superman” celebrations since leading Auburn to the 2010 national title.

But Newton realized right by the opener and again against Tampa Bay that he would maybe perchance well now not originate normal issues similar to running and pushing off his plant foot confidently enough to construct honest throws.

He finished 49% of his passes in the Tampa Bay loss and was normal as a decoy on a capacity game-successful fourth-down play on the aim line, when running lend a hand Christian McCaffrey lined up in the Wildcat formation. McCaffrey was stopped on fourth-and-1 from the 2.

“Despite the proven truth that someone is never any longer conclude to you, you may well presumably neatly be making an strive to guard your foot,” Newton said. “I don’t favor no person to the contact it, I don’t favor no person to sack me. So all these items are occurring in my head in staunch play.

“For see you later I finished this game a technique, I finished this game the supreme diagram I know the diagram to play. And at this particular time, that No. 1 that’s accessible, that hasn’t been that very same particular person.”

Newton said he realized when the decision was made closing week to originate 2d-year, undrafted quarterback Kyle Allen against the Arizona Cardinals that it was time for him to give consideration to recovery.

Allen threw four touchdown passes and led the Panthers to a 38-20 victory in Arizona.

Newton said he’ll originate whatever he can to augment Allen while rehabbing.

“Right here’s the final personnel sport,” Newton said. “And I need to be the supreme participant for this personnel. And honest now I cannot be the supreme participant for this personnel if I beget an shatter that wants time for it to heal.”

Newton said it “rejuvenated” him that he felt no stress from coach Ron Rivera or general supervisor Marty Hurney to try to play by the shatter when the decision came to shut him down.

“It takes the Superman out of it,” Newton said. “I in reality didn’t need that mantra to be there. You feel similar to you may well presumably neatly be immortal. You feel you can’t originate no wicked. You feel similar to you may well presumably neatly be this broad, irascible guy, but fact be informed, I’m human. By this whole time, I’m realizing this.”

Newton said if he finished now it wouldn’t be the “Cam Newton every person is familiar with seeing.”

“I refuse for that to happen,” he added. “I’ve been doing that for two video games. It be anxious for me to question movie, it’s anxious for me to pass about my day to day life radiant I’m being held lend a hand by an ailment radiant that all I beget to originate is be honest by [it].

“It be anxious to diagram to grips with that decision or having those options, but on the end of the day, I’ve obtained to procure honest. I’ve obtained to procure honest.”