What It Means:

Rivera wants to evaluate the "physical state and mental state" of Newton, who has struggled in recent weeks while trying to play on a bum shoulder. “It’s a tough situation right now,” Rivera added. “Until I get a chance to visit with him I’m not going to speculate.” This leaves the door open for a possible shut down over the final two games of the season. Taylor Heinicke is second on the depth chart in Carolina.

numberFire's models are optimistic about Newton's Week 16 outlook, as he's the QB3 in our weekly fantasy rankings and projected for 23.9 FanDuel points, at a cost of $8,500.