The fear among some people around the NFL is that Carolina quarterback Cam Newton has already been subjected to the kind of punishment that could shorten or alter his career.
The daunting question is: Can the Panthers and Newton fix the problem?
Following up on his NFL Most Valuable Player performance of a season ago, Newton is off to a career-worst start statistically with an 80.2 rating. He has been sacked at the highest rate of his career and is out for Carolina's Monday Night Football game against Tampa Bay.