Panthers' Cam Newton Undergoes Surgery on Shoulder Injury

Carolina Panthers star Cam Newton underwent surgery on his right shoulder, the team announced Thursday.

It's unclear when Newton will be back to 100 percent, but the team said his rehab "will begin immediately."

The three-time Pro Bowler missed Carolina's final two games and battled shoulder soreness for much of the 2018 season. 

Beyond the obvious fact of seeing Newton go under the knife, the larger concern for the Panthers stems from the fact he already had surgery on his shoulder in March 2017.

The Charlotte Observer's Jourdan Rodrigue drew a parallel to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who underwent surgery on his shoulder in January 2017 to address an injury that dated back to the 2015 season. Luck then had a lengthy recovery period that kept him out for an entire year.

The Colts were smart to be as cautious as possible with Luck, and he returned to form in 2018. Indianapolis essentially had a lost season in 2017, though, going 4-12 while Jacoby Brissett and Scott Tolzien split starting duties.

According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and The MMQB's Albert Breer, the Panthers don't foresee Newton having anywhere near the same kind of recovery period:

Still, Carolina would be smart to have a contingency plan in mind.

Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen filled in for Newton when he was out. Should the worst-case scenario occur and the effects of Newton's surgery linger longer than anybody expects, the Panthers could ill afford to roll with either Heinicke or Allen in Week 1 to open 2019.

The team at least has plenty of time to see how Newton progresses before it would have to seriously consider signing a stopgap quarterback in free agency.