Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton smartly has surgery Thursday

Cam Newton is taking the first steps to recovery.

A key member of the Carolina Panthers football team is now beginning to put in work to make his injury a bit better. Cam Newton went under the knife for arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder Thursday according to a report from ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.

The 29-year-old quarterback threw for 3,395 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. The 24 touchdowns were his most in a season since 2015. That year, he had 35 and the Panthers went to the Super Bowl. The 13 interceptions were also his least since the 2015 season when he had 10. In addition, his 94.2 cornerback rating was also his lowest in three seasons.

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There was certainly a lot of good things to be had on the offensive side of the football in 2018. Newton did the best he could behind a makeshift offensive line and although there were games where he struggled, he did the best with what he had to work with. He contributed to the fact that wide receivers Curtis Samuel and DJ Moore had great seasons, and let Christian McCaffrey make plays once receiving the football. McCaffrey too had a career year.

I’m happy he is having surgery as I truly want his shoulder to get better. It will be interesting to see how the Panthers handle the recovery process. They have to handle him delicately as they should not rush him back. This is a franchise quarterback who has undoubtedly brought them from dark days to success. Even if last season did not go as planned, it cannot be understated how much of an impact Newton has made. If they rush him back too quickly, that could be disastrous not only for this season but for the rest of his career. The ramifications would be brutal.

How Cam Newton feels about his shoulder following the surgery should impact whether the Panthers try to go out and get a quarterback. Owner David Tepper has already said that the Panthers would look for one if Newton was not fully healthy. I wouldn’t look at the hypothetical new quarterback as a full-time Newton replacement. Rather, I would look at this as a holdover while Newton gets back to full health. As much as I hate to say it, it will take time for Cam Newton to get back to full strength. With these arthroscopic surgeries, the recovery time has improved considerably in comparison to years ago. I personally want Newton to get fully healthy before he even thinks about stepping on a football field.

Although it may not be the off-season news that we want to hear, this is certainly an important development. The Panthers have a lot of decisions to make in terms of how they’re going to manage their star player. This is a situation that should be monitored closely and handled effectively. Anything else could lead to disastrous results.