CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said Monday that Kyle Allen will likely start at quarterback for the team Sunday vs the Jacksonville Jaguars as Cam Newton continues to recover from a foot injury.
Allen has started the two most recent games for Carolina, wins against Arizona and Houston. They haven't been without drama, though, as Allen has fumbled five times in those games combined.
"As we are going forward right now, Kyle is going to start and we will go from there," Rivera told reporters during his Monday press conference.
Allen passed for 232 yards in Sunday's 16-10 win over Houston, which was his third career start. Allen lost three fumbles but the Panthers defense kept the Texans' offense in check throughout the game, including a forced fumble of their own late in the fourth quarter.
According to a report from The Athletic's Joe Person, starter Cam Newton was diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury. He's expected to miss upwards of at least a month, according to NBC Charlotte's Nick Carboni.
"We're talking about an injury that's really hard to get through without a surgery," Carboni said.
Rivera side-stepped a question about Newton having surgery last week, and it appears the Panthers are going to give him as much time as he needs to get fully healthy.
In the meantime, the team has leaned on all-purpose running back Christian McCaffrey, who became just the second player in NFL history to record 175 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in each of his team's first four games in a season.
