Panthers' Cam Newton progressing after shoulder surgery, throwing regulation football
The Carolina Panthers announced on Jan. 24 that Cam Newton underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right (throwing) shoulder, and at the time there were reports the team was hopeful he’d be throwing in time for OTAs this month.
Progressing in rehab process
While media haven’t seen Newton throw overhand during the few OTA practices they’ve been allowed to watch, Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer reported Thursday night that Newton has progressed to throwing a regulation-sized football. She cited a league source.
It’s a key step in the rehabilitation process for the 30-year-old Newton. After surgery on their throwing arms, many quarterbacks have to progress from foam footballs or high school-sized footballs before regulation NFL ones as they rebuild strength.
‘Clean-out procedure’
Unlike 2017, when Newton underwent surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff, this was a “clean-out procedure,” as Rodrigue wrote.
In a revealing video blog Newton posted to YouTube in February, we see Dr. Pat Connor telling the quarterback in the recovery room that “the damage, that cartilage damage, was not as extensive as we feared. It was definitely there, we knew that, but it was pretty small, so I think if we can get that motion back and keep it, we’ll be pretty good.”
Newton didn’t play in the Panthers’ last two games last season, once they were out of postseason contention. In the video blog, he said the nagging shoulder pain meant that he couldn’t throw more than 30 yards, and he felt defenses “were exposing me because I couldn’t throw the ball downfield.”
Entering his ninth NFL season, Newton is on track to be ready for training camp.
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