Although he will remain an active member of the Carolina Panther's 53-man roster until season's end, team officials will not field Cam Newton for the remaining two games, a league source confirmed with ESPN. Beyond that, we know that Panthers' general manager Marty Hurney told the media this afternoon, that his starting quarterback would be ruled inactive for the upcoming fixture against the Atlanta Falcons, made obsolete by the leaguewide announcement.
In his place, backup Taylor Heinicke will see game time, as Kyle Allen fills his spot on the sidelines. Bear in mind, there is a single exception to Cam Newton's encampment: if the Panthers somehow sneak into the playoff picture in the season finale against the mighty New Orleans Saints. "He'll be on the 53-man all the way through," coach Ron Rivera reiterated. "Crazy enough things can happen and we'll see from there."
Before issuing their respective statements on Cam's shoulder injury, Rivera and Hurney met with Panthers' owner David Tepper to discuss the right course of action. The decision to start Heinecke in place of an injured Cam Newton is, in their minds, the best opportunity they have at walking away with a victory this Sunday. The Falcons matchup starts at 1 pm ET, with all the gumdrops on the line.