It’s been a month since the surprise announcement that Panthers quarterback Cam Newton needs ankle surgery. So how’s he doing four-plus weeks after having the procedure?
Darin Gantt of PFT, who covered the Panthers 14 years before joining this establishment nearly two years ago, reported during Friday night’s edition of Pro Football Talk on NBCSN that Newton remains in a boot -- and that the team remains hopeful Newton will be back to 100 percent in time for training camp.
Of course, Newton may still miss all of the practice reps of the offseason program, which becomes more critical as the Panthers break in a bunch of new receivers.
The next time we hear Newton’s name inevitably will be when the Panthers exercise the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, which will pay him $13 million for 2015. It’s only a matter of time before the Panthers pay him a lot more than that.