Cam Newton’s cryptic answer about shoulder is frustrating
Newton was not too specific about his shoulder.
I’m not trying to start a controversy here. I just think the quotes that Cam Newton put forth on Wednesday were very interesting. There has been a lot of speculation about his shoulder. Will he or won’t he need surgery?
The answer to that question is as of right now, we truly don’t know. On Wednesday, Newton gave his answer. Although his answer may seem simple at face value, I think there is a little bit more to it. I think he is giving us an answer by not giving us an answer on whether or not he will in fact need shoulder surgery.
"“I can’t confirm or deny,” said Newton. “But at the end of the day, I just know I’m healthy enough to play. And I’m not gonna let nothing hold me back from being able to help my team. And I don’t definitely want to be a liability – I just want to make sure that I’m putting myself and this team in the best situation to win football games.”"
To me, this is a very cryptic answer. I am just giving my opinion here, but his cryptic answer (as I see it) may mean shoulder surgery for him in the off-season. When he says he is healthy enough to play, that could mean that he is healthy enough to throw the football and make an impact. That does not mean that there is not something wrong with his shoulder. This is something that the Panthers have been monitoring throughout the course of the season. Most recently, we saw him have to be taken out of the game on Sunday in favor of Taylor Heinicke.
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With how cautious the Panthers have been with the Newton over the course of the season, I could definitely see him needing surgery in the off-season. We all know that he is a competitor. A competitor would not be taken out of the last play of the game in favor of the backup quarterback in order for the team to execute a more powerful throw. There has to be something wrong with Newton. That is the only explanation for that cryptic quote.
With the exception of maybe Sunday, there is no doubt that he has been putting the Carolina Panthers in the best positions to win football games week in and week out. Whatever the Panthers have been doing to keep that shoulder fresh seems to be working. He is in the middle of having one of the best seasons of his career, and it would be great to see him ended with a successful last four games of the season. The Panthers need him to be great. If he can at the very least end the season on a high note, I would consider that a success.
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For now though, he leaves us a cryptic quote to try and decipher. I’m hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. At the very least, my pessimistic outlook could be a metaphor for how the season has gone to this point.