Cam Newton Injury Update: Ron Rivera Says QB May Not Be 100 Percent by Camp

As the Carolina Panthers prepare to open training camp on July 25, head coach Ron Rivera is not expecting quarterback Cam Newton to be 100 percent recovered from offseason shoulder surgery right away.

Speaking to The MMQB's Albert Breer, Rivera had this to say when asked about Newton being back to full strength when camp opens:

“I wouldn’t say that, but he and the running backs and tight ends and receivers went up to Baltimore to do their getaway and work out for a couple days, and they threw it around. And I know he’s been throwing it. I’m not sure how much he’s gonna throw. He’s talking to the trainers about what that should be. I’m just pleased that there’s an opportunity for him to start off and start off on the right foot.”

The Panthers announced on March 30 Newton underwent surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder. He originally suffered the injury during Carolina's win over the San Diego Chargers in Week 14, but played through it the rest of the season. 

Rivera told reporters after Carolina's voluntary workouts on June 5 that Newton's recovery was moving quicker than expected. 

"He is ahead of schedule," Rivera said. "We're not putting him ahead of schedule. He's doing all the band work, all the stretching, all the rehab he's supposed to."

Newton started throwing a football for the first time after surgery in June, tossing 45 passes to Panthers head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion.

After leading the Panthers to a 15-1 record and being named NFL MVP in 2015, Newton completed a career-low 52.9 percent of his passes and tied a career low with 19 touchdown passes last season. 

Carolina's first preseason game will be on Aug. 9 against the Houston Texans, and the team will open the regular season on Sept. 10 against the San Francisco 49ers.