Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is doing a little more each day, as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery.
But Panthers coach Ron Rivera still isn’t prepared to declare the former MVP ready to play in the preseason.
According to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer, Newton threw about 10 live throws during joint workouts with the Titans Thursday, and then headed off to the side for conditioning. As a result, Rivera punted when asked if he’d play Saturday night in the second preseason game.
“You could tell he was rusty, a couple [he was] late on his decisions that he made,” Rivera said. “When he’s throwing the ball, he’s throwing the ball well. So we’re not concerned about that.
“Now it’s just a matter of him working himself back into shape where he can go out there and take normal reps instead of us having to make sure we’re monitoring him.”
Newton opened camp throwing fully, then took a 12-day break without any live throws during team drills. That’s an obvious reason for concern, but they’re still projecting optimism that he’ll play at some point during the preseason.