Ron Rivera: 'Very Optimistic' on Cam Newton; No Timetable After Shoulder Injury

Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday he's "very optimistic" quarterback Cam Newton will be ready for training camp after undergoing shoulder surgery in late January.

Rivera added there's still no official timetable for Newton's return to practice, per Bill Voth of the team's official website.

The 30-year-old Atlanta native missed the final two games of the 2018 regular season because of an injury to his throwing shoulder.

In February, Newton posted a behind-the-scenes video on his YouTube page (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com) and explained how much the ailment hampered his usually strong arm:

"At this persona that we play, you can't show no signs of weakness. But I was weak, and I felt so vulnerable. I felt so scared. I felt so afraid because I know I wasn't myself. I didn't know what was wrong with my shoulder. I just knew that it hurt, and I knew there was an issue. I couldn't throw the ball further than 30 yards, no lie. So I was trying to keep up with it as much as possible until the wheels fell off.

"I felt like defenses [were] exposing me because they knew I couldn't throw the ball downfield. Not being in the position physically to be able to make the throws that you know you're capable of making, that was the most disheartening thing of the whole year."

Newton had a solid season despite the injury. He completed a career-best 67.9 percent of his throws for 3,395 yards with 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions across 14 games. He added 488 rushing yards and four rushing scores.

The 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player doesn't have a proven commodity behind him on the depth chart. 2019 third-round pick Will Grier, Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen are the other quarterbacks on the Panthers roster.

If Carolina was concerned Newton would miss meaningful playing time, it likely would have made a more concerted effort to sign a veteran backup early in free agency.

Even if the franchise quarterback is cleared in time for training camp in July, the Panthers will probably play it safe with him throughout the preseason.

The most important thing is having him available for their Week 1 clash against the Los Angeles Rams, and there's no suggestion at this stage he's at any risk of missing that game.