Cam Newton Has Two Fractures in Back After Car Accident

Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton was involved in a car accident on Tuesday after his truck crashed and overturned. He was seen lying on the scene of the accident for 20 minutes getting attention from medical staff before he was taken away in an ambulance.

He seems to be alright, but he did injure his back in the incident. Here is the statement from the Panthers on his progress:

“Further testing revealed that Cam Newton has two transverse process fractures in his lower back and no further internal injuries.”

There is no timetable on his return for the injury. He will likely be in the hospital overnight for evaluation and will get back with the rest of the team tomorrow. We should know more about his status tomorrow after the team gets to evaluate him. I wouldn’t expect him on the practice field with the injury. Derek Anderson is the backup in Carolina and will likely take the snaps for the team during practice. If Cam is unable to get to the field on Sunday, Anderson will get the start and try to change the direction of the team.

The Panthers are sitting with a 4-8-1 record, but somehow are still in playoff contention to win the NFC South. The South has been a mess all season, with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons also struggling to win games, but it has allowed the Panthers to hang around in the division. The Panthers would love to have their starting quarterback on the field this weekend when they face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the accident may not allow him to see action. I wouldn’t expect him to get on the field and risk getting more hits to his back.

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