New York (AFP) – Carolina quarterback Cam Newton limped out of his NFL pre-season debut with a foot injury on Thursday as the Panthers fell 10-3 to the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.
Newton, the 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player, was playing for the first time since December. He missed the last two games of the 2018 season with shoulder trouble that hindered his ability to throw.
Newton, who appeared to be hurt when he was sacked in the first quarter, didn’t play in the Panthers’ first two pre-season games.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said after the game that he did not yet know the severity of the injury to Newton’s left foot, but the player left the stadium in a protective walking boot.
Meanwhile, there was no drama for Newton’s opposite number: New England’s superstar quarterback Tom Brady.
Brady, 42, is a six-time Super Bowl champion who has started every game for the Patriots in nine of the past 10 seasons. He was playing his first, and possibly only, game of the pre-season.
He completed eight of 12 passes for 75 yards, including an 18-yarder to Ryan Izzo that set up a one-yard touchdown by James Develin.
The Patriots, however, didn’t escape the exhibition game at their Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts without some injury concerns.
New England special teams player Brandon King was carted off the field in the first half with an apparent leg injury suffered during a punt return.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.