Cam Newton won't travel with the Panthers to London as he continues to rehab his injured foot, coach Ron Rivera confirmed Tuesday.
That means Kyle Allen will start against the Buccaneers, as expected, with Rivera declining to offer up a timetable for Newton's return.
“Kyle’s our starter and that’s what we’re going to go with," Rivera told reporters Tuesday, via The Athletic.
But Newton was seen out of his walking boot at the team's facility, which is a positive sign in his recovery.
Cam Newton back at practice, in some form. And in good spirits. pic.twitter.com/HBPyJx9uGI
— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 8, 2019
Newton, who has completed 50 of 89 passes for 572 yards with an interception and two fumbles in two games this season, is reportedly dealing with a Lisfranc injury and has been sidelined the last three weeks. With a bye looming in Week 7, the earliest he'll return is Week 8 against the undefeated 49ers.
On the other hand, Allen has won all his starts in Newton’s place, and Rivera reiterated the team's faith in him entering Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. Allen has completed 80 of 121 passes for 674 yards and five touchdowns.
“Winning is fun,” Allen said Monday, per ProFootballTalk. “I’m happy for this team. To bounce back from a rough start, and now we’re 3-2. A long way to go obviously, but I’m happy with the way we fought.
“I think you can see that with us on the field, we’re never out of the game. We’re going to keep fighting no matter what, and we are going to win games in different ways because we can.”
The Panthers (3-2) will take on the Buccaneers (2-3) at 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.