Ever since Panthers quarterback Cam Newton aggravated his foot injury against the Buccaneers, there have been rumblings that it’s worse than the team is letting on and Newton is expected to be out a while. Now, we have some solid reporting on the subject.

According to the indispensable Joe Person at the Athletic, Newton is actually dealing with a Lisfranc injury.

“Multiple sources confirmed Newton is dealing with a Lisfranc injury, in which the ligaments of the mid-foot rupture, causing instability with the joints. Some Lisfranc injuries involve trauma to the small bones in the foot, although the Panthers’ initial wording that Newton had sustained a mid-foot sprain would suggest his is ligament-related.”

There’s a lot to unpack here.

First of all, if the team knew Newton suffered a Lisfranc injury in Week 3 of the preseason and still chose to start him against the Rams and then the Bucs four days later, that’s not a good look at all in terms of taking care of their franchise QB. Newton no doubt insisted on playing through it, but it falls on the medical staff and coach Ron Rivera to know when to say no.

Second, this means we’re going to get an extended look at what Kyle Allen can do. He’s played well in his first two starts, both wins for the Panthers. Allen has thrown for six touchdowns, no interceptions and is averaging a robust 9.2 yards per pass attempt. However, context is everything and the competition Allen has faced so far is nothing to write home about. New Orleans rested its starters Week 17 and Arizona looks like one of the worst teams in the NFL this year. We will learn a lot more about Allen against Houston.

Last, this raises major questions about Newton’s long-term viability. While we still feel he’s the team’s best quarterback when he’s healthy, Newton’s injury issues have become a common theme going back three and a half seasons now. If this continues, it will be extremely difficult to justify rewarding him with another major extension.

Rivera told reporters after Sunday’s victory against Arizona that Newton will return to being the starting QB once he’s 100% healthy again. How Newton performs if and when that happens may largely determine how much longer he’ll play in the NFL.