Cam Newton said he was hiding how much his left foot sprain was bothering him before the season. Newton won't return to the field until he is 100 percent healed.

The Panthers have called the injury a midfoot sprain, which technically is a Lisfranc sprain.

"I've decided I will take time away from the game," Newton, 30, said in his first public comments since reinjuring the foot. "This is me being the bigger person and being real with myself and saying, 'Look, what's the ultimate goal you're trying to accomplish? Win the Super Bowl. OK, if you want to win the Super Bowl, this is the step you've got to take.'

"It could very well be a week. Or two weeks. It could be three weeks, it could be four weeks, it could be six weeks. But I have to understand and know if it takes that time, I trust in this team that they will -- we will -- still be in a great situation by the time I get back."

Newton admitted he probably shouldn't have even played in Week 1.

Cam Newton has been ruled out of the Carolina Panthers' Week 4 game against the Houston Texans. Newton is dealing with a foot injury.

The Panthers will start Kyle Allen at quarterback again.

"We want him at 100 percent when he’s ready, so there’s no exact timetable for his return,” Ron Rivera said.

Cam Newton has been ruled out of the Carolina Panthers' Week 3 game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Kyle Allen will start for the Panthers at quarterback.

Newton aggravated a sprained left foot in his last game.

"He's actually coming along well," Ron Rivera said Friday on a conference call. "The unfortunate part was last week he was playing on a short week and the foot didn't have time to come back, as far as I understand it. It was pretty sore. It was just one of those things where we have to wait it out and see where it is [next week].

"The one thing we don't want to do is have another setback."

Ron Rivera left a press conference early on Thursday when asked questions about Cam Newton.

"Cam was in meetings [Thursday]," Rivera said. "He was inside for treatment. [Kyle Allen's] preparing as if he's going to start and we'll have have more clarity tomorrow as we continue to go forward. Tomorrow we should have a good feel for where he is and we'll go from there."

The Carolina Panthers' coach left moments later.

Newton is battling a foot injury and hasn't played well this season. He didn't practice on Thursday and reports claim he was still wearing a walking boot on Wednesday.

Cam Newton's status for Week 3 is uncertain after aggravating the sprained left foot injury he suffered in the preseason.

Newton spent Tuesday's practice working inside with the trainer rehabbing the injury while backup Kyle Allen and third-round pick Will Grier took all the snaps.

Newton was not listed on the injury report prior to the Week 3 game, but it was clear early something wasn't right.

Cam Newton took the blame for the Carolina Panthers' 20-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.

He also insisted that his surgically repaired shoulder and recently injured foot were not to blame for his poor performance. Newton had 15 off-target throws, the most since Mitchell Trubisky in Week 7 last season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

"Through my lens, it's hard to look defensive guys in the eyes after a game like this," said Newton, who completed 25 of 51 pass attempts for 333 yards and no touchdowns as the Panthers fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2013. "Offensively, we didn't hold up our end of the bargain.

"All fingers are just pointing back to me specifically on offense."