Panthers quarterback Cam Newton looked like he couldn’t throw the ball downfield at all in the second half of the season, and opponents knew it.
Now that he’s had a procedure on his throwing shoulder, he can admit how bad it actually was.
Newton unveiled a YouTube video channel, with a post about his arthroscopic procedure on his throwing shoulder in late January.
He said he couldn’t throw the ball 30 yards as the season went on, but was determined to keep playing “until the wheels fell off.”
The Panthers started 6-2, but lost seven straight games down the stretch. They parked Newton for the final two games.
“No lie,’' Newton said. “I felt like defenses was exposing me because I couldn’t throw the ball down field. Not being in a position physically to be able to make the throws that you know you’re capable of making, that was the disheartening thing of the whole year.’’
The Panthers are upbeat about his prognosis after their team doctor cleaned out some scar tissue last month, particularly since he didn’t need a more invasive procedure. The video shows doctors telling him the damage in his shoulder actually wasn’t as bad as they feared, and he was able to
They still need to find a better grade of backup quarterback, and are aware that might be a challenge with a tight salary cap situation.