The Panthers have decided to shut down quarterback Cam Newton (throwing shoulder) for the remainder of the season. Backup Taylor Heinicke will be starting in his place.
From John Paulsen: "On the bright side, Newton’s owners don’t have to worry about making the decision whether or not to start him with a bum shoulder after two pretty bad outings in the last two weeks. Taylor Heinicke will draw the start, but he’s largely an unknown from an NFL standpoint. In the preseason, he completed 24 of 36 passes for 323 yards (9.0 YPA) and two touchdowns against one interception. He also rushed five times for 23 yards and a score. That 7.2 pass-to-rush ratio would fall between Jameis Winston (6.9) and Blake Bortles (7.4) this year, so Heinicke can add points with his legs. He’s obviously a risky start, but there’s some upside here due to the competence he showed in the preseason and his home matchup against the Falcons, who are No. 30 in QB aFPA. Consider this news a slight downgrade for the entire offense, though we weren’t expecting Newton to tear it up this week given his shoulder."
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