Cam Newton was scheduled for shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff he suffered week 14 of the NFL season on Thursday. According to Carolina Panthers officials, it was a successful surgery, and after a weekend of rest, Newton will begin his rehab program Monday. Cam Newton had a rough season last year, as he was getting punished on multiple occasions behind a bad offensive line. He was also susceptible to questionable hits to the head and legs, which caused him to have a concussion. Newton needs this offseason to get his body back to 100 percent, and according to head coach Ron Rivera "rebuild his Confidence."
Long Season
Cam Newton didn't have the best follow up to his 2015 MVP campaign in 2016.
He threw for 3,509 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He only completed 52 percent of his passes and had a QBR of 54. You couldn't blame him for all of his stats, as he couldn't rely on his receivers who dropped passes and didn't have enough time to breathe in the pocket behind a shaky offensive line. Newton was sacked 47 times last season, not to mention his designed runs, which he had 90 attempts. Newton took a beating, and there is now way around that.
Newton's coach Ron Rivera spoke about his QB's struggles last season at the NFL owners' meeting Wednesday, and he said the MVP QB was "shook" last season. According to ESPN, he said "He's going to have to rebuild his confidence, It was shook.
Let's be honest. I'm not going to lie about that. The young man went through a tough time." Rivera also talked about the offensive line issues they had and how Cam Newton didn't get the usual calls QB's like Tom Brady, or Aaron Rodgers would get. But he is moving forward and is excited about the season. Kelvin Benjamin is healthy, the signed LT Matt Khalil, and their defense will be coming back stronger, so the Panthers should be back to winning this season.
Coming Back
Newton has a long road before being ready for the NFL season. He will begin his rehab on Monday and won't be able to throw the ball for 12 weeks. He will be present for team meetings and on-field workouts that begin April 17, he just won't be throwing lasers to receivers. He won't be able to throw with his teammates for 16 weeks so that the Panthers won't be expecting a Super Cam appearance until their training camp in late July.
Cam seems dedicated to coming back stronger and better, as he posted an Instagram photo to his page Thursday morning. Cam needs to find his swag again, but he first needs to rehab his shoulder and his confidence.
Cam begins his road back to dominance on Monday, with his shoulder rehab. He knows many eyes will be on him after his subpar season, so he is ready to prove his haters wrong. The Panthers need to make sure he has a solid line around him, and receivers that he can trust. Super Cam plans to return from hiding in the 2017 NFL season.
