Tag: Cam Newton injuries

Cam Newton admits his shoulder wasn’t right for years after 2016 injury

The former Panthers quarterback is now admitting that his shoulder wasn’t right for years after that first injury.

Cam Newton hasn’t been the same quarterback since his shoulder injuries began at the tail end of the 2016 season. While he’s shown occasional flashes of his former brilliance, he’s never been able to recapture the magic of his MVP campaign the previous year.

The former Panthers quarterback is now admitting that his shoulder wasn’t right for years after that first injury.

“I threw an interception. . . tried to go make the tackle, and I tried to push him out, and I extended my arm, and I messed up my AC joint. And ever since then, there’s just been a part of me that’s just been a wounded dog. Like a wounded lion almost. Just, ‘I’m not right.’ I feel good at times, but when I’m running I still feel it. So instead of running them over, I’m going to turn this shoulder and just go down.”

Newton’s full comments can be seen in this video he shared on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR3lSPaxyis

Newton can still be an above-average QB when he’s healthy based on what we saw early in his 2020 season in New England. However, it seems unlikely at this point that he’ll ever get back to that same peak MVP level.

The Panthers will host Newton and the Patriots this season in Week 9, assuming Mac Jones hasn’t taken his place as the starter by then.

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Anonymous GM claims ‘the decline is evident’ with Cam Newton

Newton’s supposed decline is 100% related to his shoulder and foot injuries and anyone who doesn’t understand that hasn’t been paying attention.

Cam Newton remains a free agent, now nine weeks removed from getting cut by the Panthers. There are many reasons why, including the relatively late timing of his release.

What really matters above all else is how Newton’s game is perceived by the people making the decisions for NFL teams. It sounds like some have a misguided idea about where Cam is and what he’s capable of at this point in his career. For example, there’s this anonymous GM quote that’s making the rounds, courtesy of Albert Breer at Sports Illustrated.

“Not saying he can’t bounce back,” one general manager said. “But the decline is evident.”

We believe in putting your name on your work and in general fans shouldn’t pay too much attention to anonymous quotes about anyone.

However – to correct the record, Newton’s supposed decline is 100% related to his shoulder and foot injuries and anyone who doesn’t understand that hasn’t been paying attention.

If you rewind the clock back to before Newton’s shoulder took that devastating hit from T.J. Watt in Week 10 of 2018, you’ll see an immensely talented quarterback playing at the height of his powers and leading his team to wins against quality competition.

The Panthers entered that fateful matchup with Pittsburgh on a three-game winning streak. They had just dropped 42 points on the Buccaneers, a week after posting 36 on the Ravens – who came in with the NFL’s top-ranked defense – and that was after Newton led a 17-point fourth quarter comeback against the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles. This was not ancient history – it was only a couple of seasons ago.

Morover, Newton’s health was never a question before these injuries. In fact, he had a reputation for being rather durable. Up until he was shut down late in 2018 Newton had only missed four games in his entire career, one of them due to a serious car accident.

The point is that Newton’s shoulder has had plenty of time to heal, as has the misdiagnosed Lisfranc that kept him on the sidelines for most of 2019. Also, the last time Newton was truly healthy he was performing at a level rarely achieved in this sport.

Bottom line, some team is going to get a very good quarterback and make the other 31 look foolish.

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