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:
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.
